One Imaginary Outing
by Coffee Fueled Author
Summary: When Riley develops Strep, Joy and Fear find themselves handed a rare opportunity to leave HeadQuarters for a day. Trying his hardest to improve their new relationship, Fear invites Joy to Imagination Land for a day filled with excitement and adventure. But will it be too much excitement for his anxious nerves to handle? SHIPFIC. STARNERVE.
1. Chapter 1: Opportunity Arises

**This story is dedicated to CoconutCinnamon, whose art and ideas have been a continuing source of inspiration. She and I thought up the plot of this tale together.**

 **THIS IS A SHIP FIC. PLEASE BE RESPECTFUL TO THOSE WHO MAY NOT SHARE YOUR TASTES IN SHIPPING. Cuz in the end, we all love the same movie. OwO Let's just have fun together! If it's not your cup of tea, you may want to refrain from reading this one. Out of Place is shipfree and is being worked on currently, and the upcoming Always By My Side will be free of ships as well.**

 **As always, I do ask for your feedback. Please be sure to leave a review! This is what allows me to know what you enjoy and what I can improve on, and it allows me to grow as an author. It also reminds me that there are people out there who enjoy my tales, and so inspires me to write even more!**

 **I'll post the chapters about every week or so, depending on how this goes. Enjoy!**

Chapter 1: Opportunity Arises

Brimming with excitement, he anxiously waited for tomorrow.

Fear layed in his bed with his gaze toward the ceiling, a goofy sort of smile plastered on his face. He was holding back the urge to giggle uncontrollably in his excitement, knowing that the noise could stir his slumbering roommate. But the longer he sat there, the stronger that urge grew, as the events of the day before continued to replay endlessly in his thoughts.

* * *

"It's definitely strep throat." Sadness droned. "We'll be bed-bound for at least two days, and feeling the effects for almost a week..."

Fear, sitting on one of the brightly colored control-room couches, felt himself crack a smile at the diagnosis. He wasn't happy that Riley was sick, but grateful for the opportunity the illness had presented him. Having dealt with strep several times in the past, he had learned that this condition, though painful, was ultimately harmless. He had no reason to fear for Riley's safety. He had already done his job; he had aroused concern in Riley so she would alert her parents and be taken to a doctor. This illness no longer required his presence at the console.

This was just the opportunity he had been waiting for. Being sick with strep, he knew, meant that the emotions importance in Riley would change. Sadness would be using the console a whole lot more. She would dwell on the lousy feeling and on the fun activities they would be missing out on due to illness. And she would call for sympathy as Riley required it. Anger would be making more of an appearance as well. With every painful swallow, his fury would build, as he questioned what they had done to deserve this agony. He would cause a frustrated Riley to realize just how unfair it was that she had gotten sick while her friends got to enjoy their health.

But perhaps most important during this time was Disgust. From the green phlegm expelled in Riley's coughing fits to the terrible tasting medicine her doctor had prescribed; there was a whole lot to be disgusted by. The green emotion would find herself working overtime for the next week, as the general feeling of lousiness would cause Riley to find even herself gross.

Best of all, Fear knew, was that he and Joy would be the least needed of the bunch. Though she had sometimes argued, there was nothing about sickness to be happy about. And worrying was to be saved for the truly dangerous diseases. For the first time in a while, he and his happy colleague could take a much needed break.

Fear smiled even wider at the thought. Just Fear and Joy, free to wander as they pleased. What could be better?

The two had only recently confessed feelings for each other. It had planted the seed of a new relationship. But due to their hectic schedules, they hadn't had a lot of opportunity to allow that relationship to grow. Sure, they did what they could. Fear was slowly growing used to Joy taking his hand at seemingly random intervals during the day, so they could just enjoy the feeling of each others warmth through their clasped hands. And Joy loved that every morning she could count on Fear to have set out a warm cup of herbal tea just for her. But this was finally the opportunity Fear had been waiting for to do something big, something to truly allow the relationship to blossom.

The nervous emotion glanced behind himself at Joy, who stood at the large windows of headquarters and gazed at the assortment of colorful islands beyond. She rocked back and forth on her heels, humming some pop song they had heard on the radio a few days before. Even from afar, Fear could see that energetic sparkle in her deep blue eyes, which he had always believed emphasized her overall beauty. He breathed a long sigh as she stared into the lands beyond. Apparently she hadn't realized the glorious opportunity they had just been handed by this illness. It was now up to Fear to point it out.

Fear turned back around and closed his huge, bright eyes. It would take all of his courage to be able to pitch his idea to Joy. But courage was far from abundant in the lanky emotion. He was composed of the raw feeling of anxiety; of terror. He would have to rely on sheer willpower to overcome these feelings that came so naturally. While his mind tried to race with thoughts of failure and rejection, he instead forced his concentration on what he had to gain. Being with Joy; that meant everything in the world to him. If he had a chance to strengthen their budding bond, he was going to take it, no matter how scared he was.

Besides, there was one thing he didn't have to worry about. It wasn't just the rejection that scared him, but the thought of his three other coworkers mocking laughter in response. That was a scenario he knew he couldn't handle. But as he opened his eyes again, he could clearly see that Sadness, Anger, and Disgust were all still planted at the console, guiding Riley through an evening with strep. They were far too engaged in their work to pay any mind to the chatter of the emotions behind them.

This was his chance.

Fear quickly rose to his feet. It was now or never. Trying to maintain a confident outward appearance, he puffed out his scrawny chest, turned on his heels, and headed for the golden emotion by the window.

The nearer he got, the more he could feel the blood rushing to his face, settling as a bright blush on his cheeks. He could feel his knees begin to quiver, even threatening to give out. He could feel his hands begin to sweat as his body temperature soared. And though his strides had steadily shrunken in size, he kept up the forward momentum, refusing to let this opportunity pass him by.

By the time he had made it to the rear of the control room, his body had begun to shake so violently that Joy could hear his very bones rattling. She turned to the source of the sound, her infinitely blue eyes settling on Fear's awkward, gap toothed grin.

It wasn't hard to tell he had something on his mind. His lavender face had turned a brilliant magenta, sweat poured from his brow, and his knees began to turn in on themselves as he came to a halt. Joy smiled. It was just too precious to her. His shy reaction to her very presence; it always reassured her that his feelings for her were pure and genuine. Whenever he got this way, she always wanted to embrace him in a strong armed hug or gush about how cute he was being. But she knew that any reaction too strong would only scare the timid creature off. She had to be gentle in her return of affection, keeping the progress of their strengthening bond slow, or risk ending the relationship prematurely.

So even though he couldn't have made it more obvious that he had come to her for a specific reason, she acted oblivious.

"Hey, Fear!" She grinned, twirling back around to face the window. "Aren't the islands amazing in the evening light?"

Fear hiccuped a nervous chuckle as he turned his blushing face to the world beyond the glass. "Y-yeah..." He nodded. "They really are..."

Joy, keeping her gaze locked on the islands, waited excitedly for Fear to continue. She was dying to know what he had to say, and keeping herself calm was quite a challenge.

But it didn't take long for Fear to take the bait.

"So... Joy..." He mumbled, his eyes moving to his own buckled, shivering knees. "I w-wanted to... to ask you something."

The golden emotion turned back around slowly with a smile. "What's up?" She chirped.

Fear swallowed hard. This was the hard part. He knew his feelings for her were strong. He knew that he loved her with all of his heart. But how she felt about him? That was a mystery. He knew she liked him, but was always worried it could just be a passing fancy. He didn't want to come on too strong without knowing that she felt the same way. He didn't want to ask too much of their newfound relationship and find himself being rejected. This in particular was a bit of a larger step forward. He silently prayed that she would be willing to take that step with him.

"Well..." He began, looking off into the distance, unable to look her in the eyes while he spoke. "I just... I thought that... since Riley's got strep a-and we're really not gonna be... very needed for a while... I was wondering if you maybe wanted to spend tomorrow out in Imagination Land... with me..?"

Joy put her hands to her hips and cocked her head to the side with a quizzical expression.

It wasn't the reaction Fear had hoped for. "It-it could be really fun!" He tried desperately to pitch his case. "There's all sorts of rides and... and parts of theme parks Riley's visited a-and there's even a beach we could go... go hang out at..."

"Are you asking me out on a date?" Joy smiled.

Fear immediately felt his body go cold. "I-I.. I just... I was... I..." His mouth stumbled over every syllable and the blood began to drain from his face.

Joy, worried that perhaps the word 'date' had been too strong, immediately back peddled. "I mean, I would love to go to imagination land, Fear!" She giggled, once again trying her hardest to keep her excitement contained.

Fear's antennae fell nearly straight down. "You-you would...?" He stuttered. "Y-you would! Okay!" His antennae instantly perked back up into an excited curl as the realization of acceptance sunk in. "Then, we'll leave early tomorrow! After Riley is awake and settled in for the day!"

Joy beamed a bright smile. "Sounds great!" She laughed. "I can't wait!"

* * *

"Neither can I..." Fear thought to himself, still focused on the dark ceiling above. That urge to giggle had returned at full strength, and Fear had to use all of his concentration to repress it. He just was so thrilled that Joy had accepted his invitation. Tomorrow was all about Joy and himself.

Brimming with excitement, he anxiously waited for tomorrow.


	2. Chapter 2: Of Penguins and Pebbles

**Due to the amount of positive reviews recieved, I am happy to share the next chapter with you! I hope you enjoy!**

 **For those new to my stories, I want to let you know that you can contact me with all questions and comments on my tumblr (coffeefueledauthor).**

 **I also hear that this particular couple is now taking questions at AskStarnerve on tumblr. ;) Feel free to check that out as well!**

 **Once again, I ask that you review. Your feedback is my inspiration, and helps me to write better and faster!**

 **Thanks again! Enjoy!**

Chapter 2: Of Penguins and Pebbles

He awoke to the feeling of a thick palm pushing repeatedly on his shoulder.

"Come on, Fear." Anger's gravely voice sounded slow and exhausted. "We gotta get moving."

It took Fear only a moment to coax his bright eyes open. He tiredly watched as Anger shuffled his wide frame to their closet door, muttering something under his breath, no doubt about not wanting to be awake at the moment. But Fear's eyes quickly moved from his coworker to the ceiling.

"The lights are still off." He mumbled, rubbing his strained eyes and lifting himself into a seated position. "Riley's still asleep. Why are we getting up now?"

Anger grunted and turned back around to his lanky coworker. "We're doing that thing where we keep waking up for a few seconds just to fall back asleep for a minute or two." He grouched, folding his thick arms across his broad chest. "No doubt Sadness who keeps putting us back to sleep. She always does this when Riley's sick..."

Almost as if on cue, the lights throughout headquarters went on, accompanied by the sound of electronics whirring to life, bathing them in light like the morning sun beyond the monitor. The glow lasted only a few wavering seconds before once again shutting off, bringing back the darkness of nightfall. Anger shook his heavy head, growling something nasty about his melancholy colleague.

Fear looked to the now darkened lights above him and sighed. This, he knew, could go on for quite some time. No one really knew much about Sadness's motivations. But ever since their preteen moving incident, no one ever questioned her again. Obviously there was some reason behind this waking behavior when Riley was sick that the others simply didn't understand.

In an instant, Fear's mind chained several thoughts together. Riley was sick, which meant Fear wasn't needed, which reminded him of the question he had asked Joy, which lead to remembering what her response had been. The realization hit him with the strength of a speeding semi; he was going out with Joy today. A wave of excited energy washed over his body with a shiver, and he bolted out of bed and to the closet on the far end of the room.

Anger, who had already retrieved his clean outfit from the same closet, returned to his crimson draped bed. As he deftly arranged his patterned tie, he watched as Fear moved at light speed; throwing off his pajamas and redecorating himself with his day clothes, all the while appearing as a fuchsia blur. The stout emotion grunted, wondering where his nervous coworker found his never ending supply of energy. As soon as his tie was in place, he started towards the bedroom door.

Finishing his outfit with his standard mauve bow tie, Fear too headed for the control room. But he found himself quickly skidding to halt only moments later, as Anger had come to a complete stop just in the doorway, his wide square frame entirely obscuring the exit.

"What are you doing?" Fear panted, thankful he hadn't crashed into his stubbornly still companion.

Anger turned around with a somewhat devilish look of curiosity on his flat face. "Yeah... I meant to ask you..." He nodded, grinding his blocky fists into his hips. "What is it that you have planned today? It's obviously something big."

Fear's long face turned a pale white, his antennae dangling freely behind him. He hadn't told Anger about his plans with Joy. He hadn't told anyone. In fact, he wasn't going to tell anyone. On a sick day like today, the three now in charge would be so busy that they wouldn't have even noticed or cared about Fear's absence. He had been planning on taking advantage of their obliviousness. The less they knew about his attempts at strengthening he and Joy's relationship, the better. Especially if he failed.

"How..." He stammered with a nervous step back. "H-how di-did..."

"Oh, come on. You're easier to read than a picture book." Anger laughed, rattling Fear's nerves with his somewhat rare hearty chuckle. "You spent all last night chewing on your pillow. That thing was practically your teething ring. And that always means you've got some sort of plan laid out the next day, be it good or bad."

Startled by his own unconscious readability, Fear spun his head around to look at his bed. Sure enough, the pillow had been left at an awkward angle, much lower than he usually kept it. And the bottom third of the cushion was saturated in his own saliva, flattened in certain areas that still retained a vague outline of his wide, strangely spaced teeth.

Fear knew when to admit defeat. "All right." He sighed. "But don't laugh! I asked Joy out to imagination land with me today, and she said yes. I figured you wouldn't have much use for us anyway..."

Taking in this new information, Anger slowly revealed a wide grin.

' _Here it comes..._ ' Fear thought, closing his eyes and turning away from any mocking laughter that was about to ensue. ' _Brace yourself..._ '

"You?" Anger suddenly bellowed, watching Fear wince in response to the sound. "You asked Joy out on a date?"

Fear, having trouble deciphering Anger's underlying tone, slowly opened his eyes and looked to his shorter companion, who still had that wide smile across his lips and that devilish gleam in his ruby eyes.

"Y-ye-yeah... I... I did..." Fear began to fiddle mindlessly with his own hair-like appendage. "B-but I dont... R-really... I don't th-think that it's a... a date..?"

Anger either didn't hear his coworkers muttering or, more likely, didn't care. "I mean, I knew you liked her and all..." He chuckled, continuing his thought as if Fear hadn't said anything. "But to ask her out on a date? That takes guts! I didn't think you had it in ya!"

Becoming somewhat more at ease, Fear uncurled himself into a more upright pose. Was this, he wondered, an example of one of Anger's rare and strangely worded compliments? The passing thought made him laugh nervously, which he hoped wouldn't receive any negative reaction.

But it was apparently the reply Anger had wanted. He smiled wide enough to allow his uneven teeth to show through, shuffled a step forward and patted a huge palm as high up Fear's lanky back as he could reach. "Good for you, nerd." He praised. "And since I'm so nice, I'll even give ya my best bit of dating advice!"

Fear, his skeleton rattling with each of Anger's 'pats' (which felt more like slaps to him), raised his thick eyebrow. He was quite curious to know just what kind of 'dating advice' the angry emotion could offer him, seeing as how he had yet to court his own long-time crush.

Despite this, Anger seemed confident in his advice and stood tall and proud, as if it were a precious gift of information that he was kind enough to let Fear in on.

"You see, Fear." Anger talked almost in a whisper, as if this was real secret stuff. "Girls like a whole lotta things in a man. But there's one thing that they look for that means more to them than anything else. A dame expects her man to be confident."

Fear tilted his head. "Confident..? In what..?"

Anger scoffed. "In everything! In himself, in his actions; they want to know that their man is confident and proud of every little thing he does. Trust me; ladies flock to the guy who looks like he's got things figured out. A weaker, wishy washy type? They'll just pass him by.

"So do yourself a favor. Make sure you show Joy your own confidence on this date. It's a fool proof way to ensure a second date. And so far... you haven't really scored many points in this department..."

It felt like Anger had more to say about the subject, but he was interrupted by the lights around them once again coming to life. They both stared at the glow, waiting to see when it would go out once more. But even after a solid ten seconds, the lights showed no signs of fading.

"Looks like Sadness is finally letting us stay up this time." He grumbled, back to his standard grouchy self. "That's my cue. There is NO WAY Riley is gonna be happy about missing out on that much sleep!"

Wanting to make sure he took control before any other emotion could settle in on the console, Anger spun around and jogged out the door on his stubby legs, absentmindedly pushing the door closed behind him. Fear was suddenly face to face with his own reflection, shining off the floor length mirror that hung on the bedroom door.

Fear couldn't help but take a moment to look over himself. The words of wisdom Anger had provided began to sink in, and Fear breathed a solemn sigh. Because one thing he wasn't was confident. Especially in himself. 'What do I have to be confident in?' He had wondered. He was scrawny, skittish, weirdly proportioned, and just plain funny lookin'. He didn't look anything at all like someone a girl would find manly or attractive. He was the opposite of a good catch. He began to wonder what it was that Joy saw in him, and began to fear it may have been pity.

As he continued to contemplate what a poor specimen he was, he suddenly remembered that nature documentary Riley had seen recently. It was one of those educational pieces narrated by that old British man who seemed to provide the voice over for all nature documentaries. The part in specific that had come to mind was the part focusing on the rockhopper penguin.

The small, flightless birds lived in the antarctic. During their mating season, the show had explained, the female rockhoppers would wander through fields of males, each sitting atop a nest he had built for any eggs he may father. In such a fierce and brutal environment, the females wanted to be sure they were giving their offspring the best chance of survival. So they searched for a mate who was large, strong, and could screech out his call with impressive lung power. Surely a virile specimen like that would father children strong enough to survive.

Fear had remembered watching as the footage depicted the choosy females passing up dozens of potential mates until they spotted one of those burly males. Even with their expressionless bird face, Fear felt like they seemed to exude confidence. They knew their perfect physical form would get them a mate every time. It was almost too easy.

But then, there were the male rockhoppers who hadn't been dealt the greatest hand in their genetics. The scrawnier, quieter penguins had almost no chance of attracting a female with their physical form alone. Fear had felt a lot like a particularly lanky rockhopper they had shown, who had been passed up near a hundred times the last year, ending the mating season all alone.

There was one thing, however, that could give these weaker birds an edge in the mating game. And that was dedication. Rockhoppers, it said, were named after the rocky terrain which they live on. During the mating season, each male rockhopper assembles a nest of dozens and dozens of pebbles arranged in a neat little pile.

The scrawnier male penguins could prove their worth by pouring their dedication into their rocky nest. The lanky rockhopper, refusing to be rejected for another season, spent days assembling his rock pile. He chose only the smoothest, glossiest stones; favoring ones of a golden brown color. He would travel great distances to find the perfect rocks, and he worked as hard as he could to create the perfect nest. When it was finished, it was glorious, and the penguin seemed rather confident in his own creation.

As the females began to walk among the males, trying to decide on their future mate, it was the lanky males nest that had caught the most attention. For even the penguins knew that it was easy to be a noteworthy catch when fate had bestowed upon them the perfect body, but it took effort and dedication to build a beautiful shimmering pebble nest to prove that they would make a reliable mate. In no time at all, the lanky penguin in the documentary had caught the eye of a young and healthy female, who knew that her new mate would always be willing to put forth immeasurable amounts of effort to please those he cared for.

As Fear continued to study his form in the mirror and ponder the events of the documentary and it's penguins, a new thought formed in his mind. He was one of the weaker penguins; a lousy physical specimen that was bound to be ignored by the opposite sex. So his only hope to impress Joy was to prove not only his dedication to their relationship, but the confidence in that work. He had to gather the most pebbles to make up for what fate hadn't given him. It would be hard. But in the end, he hoped, it would mean more to Joy than any muscles ever could.

"Confidence... Dedication..." Fear thought aloud to himself. "Gather the most pebbles, Fear."

With a newfound sense of self worth, Fear stood up straight and tall, puffed out his chest, and exited the bedroom in search of Joy.

"There you are!" Joy chirped, as Fear descended the ramp connecting the living quarters to the main control room. She almost added 'I thought you might've gotten cold feet', but didn't want to risk upsetting her skittish romantic interest, especially before something as big as this. She was just happy that he had found the courage to go through with it after all. This was something she had been looking forward to all night, she just didn't want to tell Fear and find himself putting unnecessary pressure on himself to make the day perfect.

Fear, still trying to maintain the confidence Anger had advised him to keep, could already feel that his face had begun to flush just from the pleasant sound of Joy's sing-song voice. As he came to the bottom of the ramp and stood beside her, the color change in his cheeks only got worse, and his nervous shivers threatened to start up again.

"H-he...h-hi... Good morning, Joy..." Fear felt his grasp on the English language slip away as his brain instead swirled with thoughts about Joy and how perfect she was. He tried to give his mind a chance to settle down by briefly turning away from her beautiful form to open his locker at the base of the ramp.

Joy, giving into her excitement, momentarily forgot to stay calm around the being of frazzled nerves. "Are you ready?" She beamed, smiling the brightest smile she could muster. "Where do you want to go first? Are you gonna swim too? Do you think they'll have roller coasters? What's with the backpack?"

Fear, revealing the purple backpack he had prepared the night before with all the things they may need on their outing, was startled by the sudden question onslaught. Trying to remain confident and avoiding any sort of awkward silence, Fear's panicked mind raced to answer the queries as well as give his own thoughts on the day ahead. But in his haste and embarrassed confusion, his mind and mouth attempted to answer everything at once.

"I...I'M YES, GOOD LETS GO WITH AND SWIM MAYBE BECAUSE TOWELS ARE HERE AND I REMEMBER PENGUINS." It was like an avalanche. Once the words had started, they refused to stop pouring out of him until the mash of thoughts had been completed. When the jumbled mess finally ended, Fear slapped his large hands across his mouth as if to ensure nothing more could escape. He tightly shut his eyes, embarrassed beyond belief, and waited for Joy's inevitable response. Something, he guessed, along the lines of 'I just remembered some things I have to do so...'

But to his surprise, he instead heard Joy's sweet, bubbling laughter. Mortified at the possibility that Joy was mocking his panicked babbling, Fear quickly snapped his eyes back open. "Sorry! That was a lot of questions, wasn't it?" Joy smiled, blushing a gentle pink on her golden cheeks. "I'm just really excited! And it sounds like you are too!"

Fear blinked a few times. She was... excited? About being with him? Even after the sudden word salad that had cascaded from his mouth? Fear returned Joy's bright smile, blushing madly, reminded yet again why he adored her.

"Y-yeah..." Fear chuckled nervously, finally back in control of his thoughts and words. "Yeah! I am excited!"

"Well what are we waiting for!" Joy began to skip to the area beneath the living quarters where the headquarters only exit was. "The train will be here any minute! Let's go!"

Fear watched as her chartreuse dress danced with her graceful movement, more in love with her then ever. He silently swore to make this outing absolutely perfect. He wanted to make certain that this would strengthen their bond, for the thought of life without Joy by his side was a thought he could no longer stand.

It was time to show Joy just how much she meant to him. "Gather the most pebbles..." He whispered to himself, and slowly proceeded towards the exit.


	3. Chapter 3: Riding the Rainbow Rails

**Alrighty, here is the next chapter. Like I said, even though I have a this story written, I wanted to space out posting chapters.**

 **Still, though, I really do request that you please leave a review! They mean so much to me and inspire me and just keep me motivated. I ask that you take the time to let me know your thoughts. And to those of you who have and who continue to do so, I thank you tremendously.**

 **Random side note, I am promoting a new blog on tumblr where you can ask Fear and Joy your questions or send them your fanart of the two. It's called AskStarnerve. Feel free to check that out.**

 **And, if any of you are new readers, you can contact me anytime either here or at MY tumblr, which is under the name CoffeeFueledAuthor.**

 **So please enjoy and review. Thanks!**

Chapter 3: Riding the Rainbow Rails

Riley had been actually awake for a few minutes now. The train would make it's scheduled pass by headquarters any second.

As Fear took his place beside Joy to await it's arrival, the golden emotion smiled excitedly and quickly pressed the button above the trains delivery slot, making her own quiet 'boop' sound effect. The button began to glow a bright green. Though they couldn't see it, they knew that the light outside their structure was now flashing.

Normally, the Train of Thought wouldn't stop at headquarters. It made a pass around to make it's standard morning delivery, not even slowing down as it hurled its satchel and whizzed by. Using the delivery slot the two emotions now stood beside, the train would drop off any ideas, daydreams, or opinions that had been ordered the night before. But by turning on the flashing light that hung outside, the emotions could signal the train to come to a complete stop, in case one of them needed to head out beyond headquarters to investigate a malfunction in the memory return or something similar. It had been Fear's idea to install the new signal, for it could also be used in the rare event that an emotion became caught in the recall suction, so someone could go out to Long Term and retrieve them.

Fear faced the tall exit door, shivering, silently wishing the train would arrive sooner. Standing this close to Joy was making his internal temperature skyrocket, and he was sure that Joy would be able to feel the heat radiating from his form. He couldn't make any mistakes on this big day. As his blush reached critical levels, he tried his hardest to calm his shaking, not wanting to draw any attention to the fact that he couldn't even hold it together when she was so near.

To his dismay, Joy actually took a quick step backward, leaving herself even closer to Fear. She had resumed humming the same pop song as the day before, and Fear began to worry that this was out of boredom. Little did he know that her humming was actually not dissimilar to what he had been doing; Joy could feel she was getting too excited about the upcoming adventure and was using the rhythmic, repetitive music to keep herself calm.

She couldn't help it. Where Fear was built from the raw feeling of terror, Joy was made up of pure happiness and excitement. Pretty much anything and everything could get her so wound up; she could almost never bring herself to stand still. When life always seemed so fun and enjoyable, she couldn't help but be constantly thrilled to bits. But this, she worried, was exactly the sort of thing that could scare Fear away. So she tried her best to hide her constant excitement. She didn't want to lose him when it had taken so long for him to start making the first steps towards a relationship.

It wasn't long before the clattering of the train upon phantom tracks could be heard approaching. And, rather than keeping up its usual allegro tempo, they could hear the vehicle begin to slow, the clacking of the rails becoming less frequent. Finally, the train came to a complete stop, puffing out a long and somewhat deafening whistle to let the passengers know it was ready to board. This was their ride.

Joy giggled excitedly. Fear took in a deep breath. And when the exit door opened a fraction of a second later, they both quickly made their way through.

Outside was only a small platform to stand on, a shaky extension jutting from headquarters' side raised high above the dark and threatening memory dump below. The train, perched atop it's glittering rails that seemed to exist only as the wheels passed over them, had stopped in such a way that a flatbed car was directly in front of the platform, surrounded by larger box cars on either side with rickety paths between them.

Joy, with no hesitation, hopped from the perch onto the train car, where she wandered to a nearby box and sat atop it. Fear, though his quivering knees tried to dispute the idea, followed Joy's example and hopped the small gap as well, repeatedly reminding himself not to look down. Once he, too had clambered atop a box, they looked to each other and smiled, now settled in and ready for the ride.

The front of the train produced a short whistle blast. "All ready back there!?" A raspy voice shouted over the ambient sounds of the mindscape.

"We're all set, Charlie!" Joy hollered back, mildly startling Fear. She had come to learn the names of all the different conductors, and could recognize each by their voices alone.

As a final warning, the train let loose one last screeching note that puffed into the air as a cloud of sparkling steam. The headquarters door quickly slammed shut, the signal light above the perch went from flashing red to a steady green glow, and the rhythmic breathing of the engine started up once more.

The train bucked forward as the brake was released, which surely would've sent Fear flying off his box perch had it not been for his white knuckled grip in terror. After the initial jolt, the trains movement became steady, a crescendo in volume and in speed as it worked to resume its original pace. The emotions could hear the faintest ringing sound as the tracks left behind faded into nothing and more appeared just far enough ahead of the train to keep it airborne.

As the vehicle finally eased into a steady speed, Fear felt like he could breathe a little. Depending on the day, it could be a little while before the imagination land stop, so he decided it would be best to settle in for a long ride.

Joy could visibly see the some of the tension escaping Fear. His tight posture began to relax, and his breathing seemed to slow slightly. She smiled, happier he was more at ease. Perhaps now, she thought, she could try and share her excitement.

"So!" She chirped, watching as Fear immediately perked his head to the sound. "What are we gonna do first?"

Fear, once again feeling the slightest temperature change in his face, removed his backpack and set it down in front of him. "Well, Imagination Land has really changed a lot recently..." He mumbled, retrieving a folded paper from the packs side pocket. "So I brought the most up to date map of the place I could get my hands on. It looks like the train stops right between 'Adrenaline Rush' amusement park, the 'Fictional Characters Hall of Fame', and the brand new beach that just opened up that they've been working on since Riley's trip to the coast."

Hearing the cranial points of interest only made Joy's excitement stronger. A hushed squeal escaped through her bright smile as she mentally debated on which of the impossibly fun sounding places should be visited first. The emotions didn't get many chances to explore outside of their tall central tower of headquarters. Joy especially didn't get out much, having been the lead emotion inside Riley for as long as she could remember. So she wanted to be sure she made the very best of this rare exploration opportunity, as it could be years before she was offered another.

"We should definitely check out the amusement park first!" She finally decided, nodding her head in agreement with herself. "That way we can go to the beach after it's already warmed up, so we can swim!"

Voicing her thoughts caused her to go over them a second time, and she quickly made a realization she hadn't before. She curled her brow in thought. She had been thinking in terms of the real world; of Riley's world. But this was the mindscape. Things worked far different here. Time barely held any meaning to the world around them, and weather was near non existent. "It's gonna be warm out there, right?" She looked to Fear for clarification.

Fear, who had momentarily zoned out as his eyes fixated on each of Joy's subtle movements while she was in deep thought, quickly shook his head and pulled the map over his face again to hide the worsening redness. "Uhh, y-yeah!" He stammered with a nervous cough. "That... that whole area is actually in something called the 'Perpetual Summer'? It'll be Riley's definition of the perfect summer day. The other side of imagination land, the one with the 'All-Star Hockey Rink' and the 'Minnesota Memory', those are more in the winter side."

Joy eyes lit up with wonder. Despite having spent pretty much her whole life as a part of Riley, she felt like she was always learning something new and amazing about her host and her mind world. She turned to say something about it to Fear, but instead caught herself looking over his outfit and giggling quietly to herself, trying to stifle any full blown laughter.

"Perpetual summer?" She repeated. "And you're going out with long sleeves and a sweater?"

Returning the map to its assigned place in his bag, Fear chuckled nervously in response to the question. "N-no, heh. Of course not." Fear unzipped the main compartment of the backpack, thinking what a disaster it would be for him if he made the trip in his standard outfit. He was already sweating just thinking about being alone with Joy all day. Add an unwavering summer sun, and Fear would be so grossly drenched in his own perspiration that he figured Joy would no doubt call the outing off. He pulled out a lightweight bundle of pastel colored cotton, unfurling it to reveal a summery outfit of his. "I was gonna wear this." He grinned, setting his pack back at his feet. "I just... didn't want to change into it until we left HQ..."

Joy tilted her head and prepared to ask 'why not', but saw the sudden change in facial expression sweep across Fear. It was hard to pick out what he was feeling, but he stared at the change of clothes in an almost nervous yet sullenly defeated sort of way. Joy wanted to offer what comfort she could for whatever was troubling Fear, but was still finding it hard to decide what actions would only make his anxiety worse, like pointing out his obvious discomfort. She ultimately decided that it was still too early in the date to make any sort of a bolder move, and so sat quietly, watching Fear's solemn expression and wishing she could alleviate his unending anxiety.

After a moment of uncomfortable silence (which felt like an eternity to Joy) Fear lifted his head, blinked a few times, and focused instead on the box car ahead of them, his face falling back into a more neutral state.

Fear breathed a long, slow sigh. "W-well..." He stood up from the box, stumbling only briefly from the momentum of the moving train. "I guess I'll go change real quick."

Walking quickly in an attempt to embarrass himself as little as possible, Fear awkwardly tripped his way to the car ahead, slipping into the large wooden crate via the small sliding entrance at the cars rear. Once inside, he glanced back at Joy, who hadn't budged from her makeshift seat. She smiled brightly at the lanky emotion, to which Fear could only respond with his own nervous grin as he slid the wooden door closed, completely obscuring himself from her vision.

The box car, devoid of windows or slots for the ambient light to shine through, was illuminated only by the large, unsorted heap of memory orbs laying in the far corner. The random assortment of the 5 different emotional colors bathed the crates insides in an eerie, muddy-colored glow. With each rail the train crossed, the orbs would shudder, producing a delicate clinking sound as they collided with one another.

Not entirely fond of the crates ambiance, Fear hurried to remove his standard outfit. As he removed his striped undershirt and revealed his scrawny chest, he once more found himself overcome with the feeling of inadequacy. Seeing his own bare, stubby legs wasn't helping either. It only reminded him of how little he had to offer physically. He rushed to get the other outfit on to end the feeling.

Fear had always been self conscious of his lanky shape. He was far skinnier than any of his colleagues, with spindly limbs and a lengthy torso. He had purposefully chosen his outfit to hide all of his scrawny features; the only things left uncovered being his hands and face. But in this thin, lightweight summer outfit, it was easy to appreciate just how slender he really was. The pastel purple t shirt, decorated with a large swirl, left most of his arms uncovered. And the lightish bluish shorts revealed the lower half of his legs.

He looked over himself with an anxious sigh. He didn't like feeling so exposed, especially in front of Joy. But his options had been either this, or allow himself to become drenched in sweat. It seemed to him as the lesser of two evils. Knowing Joy would be wondering where he was, Fear picked up his discarded outfit and slid the wooden door back open.

Joy, who had been happily watching the scenery of the mindscape as the train chugged along, turned to glance at her nervous colleague, who immediately grew paler and braced himself for a negative reaction to his new outfit. But instead, Joys face lit up with a wide smile, her eyes shimmering with pure excitement.

"Fear! That outfit is adorable!" She cooed, placing her petite hands on her golden cheeks.

Fear slowly came out of the defensive stance he had taken. "Y-you..." He blinked, his blush quickly returning at full force. "You think so..?"

Joy nodded enthusiastically. "Of course!" She grinned. "I hardly ever get to see you without your normal bulky clothes!"

Unable to keep his composure one second longer, Fear turned his face away to hide the goofy smile that was taking over his expression. He tried to extend a thank you for her kindness, but it came out only as a random, uncontrollable giggling.

"Now I wish I had a cute summery outfit to wear." Joy folded her arms in thought. "Then we could look adorable together."

Fear instantly perked up to Joy's comment. "W-well!" He accidentally shouted, coughed, and started again at a more controlled volume. "W-well... Y-you actually could, kind of. Because I... I actually... Well, I sort of..."

The golden emotion tilted her head as she tried to decipher his stuttering. Frustrated that his words refused to cooperate with him, he tripped his way over to his backpack to show what he meant. In a swift motion, Fear jammed his hands into the main compartment and withdrew another set of summer themed clothing.

"I sort of..." He tried again, slower. "I packed you a spare set of clothes... In case... Well, in case your dress got wet at the beach or something..."

Fear had only barely finished his thought when Joy bolted past him in a glittering blur, snatching the clothes from his loose grip as she zoomed by. Though he could hear she was saying something, her words were far too garbled together into one incoherent thought for him to understand, only picking out repeated exclamations and 'thank you's. In an instant, she had crossed the platform to the box car ahead and sealed herself inside to change.

It all had happened so quickly; Fear hadn't had time to process what had happened. He stood still for a moment, his arms still outstretched as if cradling the clothes that were no longer there. When the startle wore off and he found himself able to move again, he slowly turned to face the closed wooden door.

While he waited for her to change, Fear thought about what Joy had said, the heat in his face rising marginally. She hadn't mocked his awkward build at all. In fact, it almost sounded like she liked his physical appearance. Fear smiled and giggled softly. ' _It's too good to be true!_ ' He thought to himself.

But it wasn't long before his natural emotion kicked in. ' _It_ _ **is**_ _too good to be true..._ ' He shivered. ' _What if she was just being nice? She'll compliment anyone and anything_.' Fear's long face fell into an anxious grimace. ' _What if it was just out of pity? What if this whole thing was just out of pity..._ '

Before he could dwell on it any longer, Joy burst back through the box car door and onto the flat bed, her pose like that of a fashion model. "How do I look?" She laughed, adjusting her denim shorts.

Fear's eyes widened. His cheeks felt like they were on fire, reaching a crimson hue that he hadn't thought possible. When he had grabbed the spare set of clothes for Joy the day before, he hadn't realized that the shirt was short enough to leave Joy's midriff exposed. Fear felt his antennae threaten to twist in on itself, no doubt to form into a heart shape, and he was forced to turn the other way.

"Y-y-you... You l-look... I mean... I think y-you look..." Fear's flustered brain couldn't even handle a simple response.

Joy giggled, the pink in her cheeks returning. "That good, huh?" She smiled.

Fear was preparing to offer a rebuttal when the train suddenly lurched, knocking him briefly to the ground. The train had finally arrived at its destination, and it whimpered and whined as it began to slow to a stop.

"This is the Imagination Land stop!" The conductor shouted over the growing noise.

Joy clapped her hand together with excitement. "We're here!" She yelled.

When the train finally came to a halt, accented by two screeching whistles from the front, Joy leapt off of the train without hesitation. She called out for Fear to follow as she disappeared into the colorful landscape all around.

Fear, still trying to bring his own lavender color back, took in one last deep breath.

 _'This is it._ ' He thought. ' _Don't mess this up.._.'


	4. Chapter 4: Impulsive Panic

**Hey guys! Sorry about the delay on this chapter. I was having a few minor computer issues yesterday that I was just in no mood to fight with. But as of this morning, I managed to fix things and I have been able to access my documents once again, and can now post this next chapter.**

 **Now, my anxiety is definitely creeping back in on me, so I do ask for your assistance. Please be sure to review! Tell me if the story is okay! Tell me what you liked! Tell me what you didnt like! I can't grow as a writer without your feedback! Because I know I'm nowhere near as talented as some other individuals here on fanfiction.  
**

 **And remember that the tumblr AskStarnerve is completely up and running. Check it out if you want to see what silly questions have already been answered, or to ask some of your own! Any questions are welcome at any time!**

 **Please enjoy! Again, thank you all for your patience!**

Chapter 4: Impulsive Panic

Now was as good a time as ever.

Fear, his backpack filled with the discarded every day clothes of his and Joy's, stepped daintily off the flat bed train car and onto the familiar puzzle piece path of imagination land. No sooner had he left the platform than the train whistle began to screech once more; a warning of it's impending departure. He skittered back a good distance and watched as the train once more jerked to life and set off upon newly appearing tracks. As the tail end passed, Fear noticed a single mind worker riding in the caboose. He waved a glittering green arm at the emotion, and Fear shyly returned the gesture as the Train of Thought left for its next destination.

Mentally preparing himself with a cleansing sigh, Fear turned around. He could still hear Joy's excited calls, even though she herself had disappeared from sight. He glanced up at the large arch that towered above him. In giant letters lined in flashing bulbs, it read "ADRENALINE RUSH PARK". Fear could tell Joy's spastic rambling was coming from inside.

Fear felt himself shiver. "Adrenaline Rush" didn't sound like the kind of place he would normally plan on visiting. Part of his job in Riley's mind was being in charge of her adrenaline. When Fear had determined that a situation had become too dangerous and required a quick get away, he could activate the adrenaline dump to give Riley an extra burst of energy. To him, adrenaline meant danger. But he knew how much a place like this would mean to Joy. So, just to make her happy, he would overcome his natural emotion and brave the park for her.

Now all he had to do was find her again.

"Joy?" Fear called, passing under the arch with his hands on his backpack straps. His bright eyes scanned the colorful landscape in hopes of catching a glimpse of her glowing aura. The park looked just as Fear had expected it to. Game booths, food stands, and huge theme rides were everywhere, with a branching puzzle path leading in a maze through the whole place. It looked a lot like the parks Riley had visited, except with a few random extra details scattered about. For instance, Fear was sure he had never seen a giant ticket stub sticking out from the ground in the real world, nor had there been cotton candy bushes among the greenery. But this was all common place in the mindscape.

There was one other detail Fear couldn't help but notice; this park was almost completely deserted. Though it was able to function as a working amusement park, that wasn't why it was here. It existed so that Riley could daydream about it as she wished, like when she was particularly bored in class. So only a few mind workers milled about to keep the place up and running, allowing the occasional worker, emotion, or imaginary friend to enjoy the place as well.

Fear finally spotted Joy leaned against a metal fence at one side of the path, her face turned to the sky. She hopped up and down like an excited child, repeatedly calling Fear's name. With a blush and a chuckle, he wandered over and stood nervously beside her.

"This one!" Joy shouted, pointing a glimmering hand upward. "We should go on THIS one first!"

Fear looked up to follow her gesture. He had been so focused on Joy that he hadn't even noticed the giant roller coaster above, dwarfing her form. Blue and teal tracks twisted and looped in a tangle of plastics and metal, some parts hanging high enough that they seemed to disappear into the light above. An empty test coaster rocketed by, screaming its way down the tracks before climbing back up the corkscrew path.

Fear swallowed hard. He could feel his antennae stand on end and his pupils constrict to pin points. Every ounce of his being was screaming 'DANGER', that riding this leviathan would be the last thing he did. With all its twists and turns and it's bullet-like speed, there was no way he could believe a thing like this was safe.

"J-j-joy...?" He shivered, his knees buckling and his hands holding the fence in a tight death grip. "I-i... We sh-should... w-we... This one?"

Joy nodded enthusiastically. "Definitely this one!"

The longer he stared at the looming thrill ride, the more he knew he couldn't allow himself, or anyone for that matter, to ride it. Though it pained him, he would have to refuse Joy's idea. He sighed and hung his head a little lower. He always hated being such a coward, and he especially disliked when he was forced to rain on the others parades, earning him names like the 'wet blanket'. But his job was keeping things safe. So he had to make a stand.

"Joy... I really-" Fear turned to face Joy and immediately paused. She had turned to face him while he had been thinking, and his eyes immediately locked into hers. He could see them sparkling with wild excitement, her smile was wide as it could stretch and her golden skin shimmered from her particals rapid movement. This roller coaster; this whole adventure even, was like a dream come true. Fear exhaled in an almost guilty tone. Who was he to rob her of one of the best opportunities for fun she would ever have?

As a breezy wind blew, causing Fear's short sleeves to billow, he remember what he had decided back at hq. Because of his lack of any physical redeeming qualities, he would have to use alternative ways to show he could be a good enough partner for Joy. He was the lanky penguin, and this roller coaster was an opportunity to earn a shiny pebble for his nest.

So, against his better judgement, Fear nodded in agreement. "I really think... it looks great, heh!" He laughed, putting a hand to his already aching neck. "Lets... Lets go find the line..?"

Joy twirled quickly in one place with a high pitched squeal. Before he could react, she tackled Fear into a tight hug, squeezing perhaps a little too tightly since she was used to fighting through his bulky sweater and layers, then bounded down the path following the fence to search for the rides opening.

Fear, his cheeks ablaze from Joys sudden, warm touch, shook himself out of the trance. " _Lets hope this works..._ " He thought to himself pessimistically. Lets get that shiny pebble.

It actually took a few minutes for the two emotions to sprint to the fences opening, revealing a smaller path beneath the coaster to the boarding platform beyond. Standing dead center in the path was a light blue colored sign, proclaiming the name of this particular ride; Synaptic Impulse. It also featured a few pictures and symbols of what to do and what not to do to on any rollercoaster. Fear, despite knowing all of these rules by heart, felt the need to go over them one more time as Joy slowly followed the path ahead, appreciating the tangle of tracks all around her.

Fear caught up to Joy once more at the base of the boarding platforms stairs. It was here that they paused. Looking up the seemingly endless steps, the pictures of stick figures in cartoony trauma fresh in his mind, Fear began to feel sweat accumulating on his face. He had never ridden a roller coaster. He had never wanted to. It was scary enough to ride one through Riley's eyes. Yet here he was, about to board one of the fastest, nastiest thrill rides he had ever seen, all for a chance at earning one golden pebble.

Joy, taking notice of her companions lack of movement, glanced at the nervous figure beside her. As she took note of his rapid shivering and increased perspiration, her face slowly began to fall. She had been so overstimulated by all the colors and sounds of the amusement park that, in her excitement, she forgot that Fear wasn't the biggest fan of things like this. A guilty feeling put immense pressure on her chest, and she sighed.

"Fear..." She spoke using her calmest and most understanding voice. "We don't have to go on this ride. I mean, if you don't want to..."

Startled, Fear whipped around to face Joy. He immediately saw her somber expression, and decided that she was disappointed in him. Fear, terrified of losing points with Joy, immediately shook his head.

"No! I... I want to go on this..!" He stammered. "Really!"

Confused, Joy tilted her head, studying Fear's awkward smile. She didn't know if she really believed that statement. But it sounded like Fear's mind was made up. So she smiled and, not trying to be too obvious, grabbed his hand and attempted to reassure him.

"It'll be really fun!" She grinned, beginning to lead his shaking body up the stairs. "And these rides are all super safe! They run test carts all day long to make sure everything's in order."

Joy could tell by his face that this particular info calmed him down a good amount. In fact, by the time they were nearing the top of the stairs, it seemed like all the anxiety in his expression had melted away, now replaced with the tiniest grin of excitment. Joy offered him a proud smile and nod, and Fear's cheeks reddened in an instant.

But as soon as they entered the actual boarding room, Fear's anxiety came back in full force. The electric blue coaster, covered in lightning bolt decals, was docked just in front of them, waiting for its passengers. Images of the empty test coaster roaring past replayed in Fear's mind. It had been terrifying seeing it from the ground. But now, he was about to be riding those same rails. There was no turning back now.

A single speckly blue mind worker approached from behind the rides controls, slightly surprised that she actually had visitors. She smiled at the two colorful creatures before her, who in turn offered her a polite greeting. Like most mind workers, she had never seen an emotion before, and in fact had no idea what one looked like. So she assumed these two glowing figures must be some form of imaginary friends.

"Alright!" She exclaimed in a surprisingly perky voice, guiding the two to the front of the docked coaster. "Are you ready to ride?"

Joy clasped her hands and nodded brightly. Fear only shivered in response.

"Okay then! Let's get you all set up!" She stepped just beside the front cart and picked up a part of the seat belt. "If you want to just get in on this side, miss! We'll get you all strapped in and secure. And sir? If you could follow me to this side of the cart, we can get you fixed up as well."

Fear hesitated momentarily before climbing into the cart's seat, the seat belt the mindworker buckled across his chest sealing his fate. His shivering rattled the entire coaster, and sweat dripped from his face onto his shaking hands. But suddenly, he felt a warm touch upon his shoulder. He turned to see Joy smiling gently, her golden hand patting softly patting him. His breathing slowed. He hadn't realized how close they had been sitting to each other in this tiny cart. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad...

The mind worker, who had been studying the cart from every angle, clapped her hands together. "Alright! We're all set to go!" She shouted, lowering and locking the lap bar into position. "Get ready for launch!" She quickly scampered over to her controls, pressing a button that caused the floor around the coaster to give way, revealing the tracks it sat upon.

"Off you go!"

Fear's heart nearly skipped a beat as the cart started forward, slowly exiting the wooden structure and approaching the tangled mess of teal twists. After a short right turn, the carts bottom was gripped by an unseen chain, which slowly began to pull the coaster up the first, tallest hill with a chorus of clacking. With each passing second, Joys excitement grew, as well as Fear's terror. He was thankful that their speed was so low, but couldn't believe how high it was taking them.

"H-h-how m-much... Much higher d-does it go...?" He tightened his fists on the bar laying across him.

"Not much!" Joy giggled. "And then the ride really starts!"

Finally, the cart had reached the very top of the incline. For a brief moment, it stood majestically as the conquer of the metal peak. But then Joy and Fear felt the ride being released from the guide chain that brought it here, and the cart slowly pitched forward, looking down the monstrous decent that lead to the rest of the terrors the coaster had to offer. It felt like in that second, time had briefly frozen, with Fear and Joy perched over the first plunge. Joy smiled as hard as she could, her sparkling eyes looking down in ecstatic anticipation. Fear pushed himself as far back into the seats cushion as he could, trying in vain to move away from the danger ahead.

It was then that gravity took hold of the cart, and the ride truly began.

The roller coaster blasted down the ramp at an incredible speed, the G forces of its plunge making its passengers feel almost weightless. Joy had started screaming with glee, while Fear screamed out of pure terror. He was already scared out of his wits, and it had only just begun. The hill bottomed out and rose again into a spiral, corkscrewing back into the air at light speed. Hanging upside down only momentarily, the cart plunged once again, twisting around in a tight turn above a flowing fountain below. After another brief hill, the cart entered the start of a giant loop at full speed. Fear, his lungs aching from his nonstop shrieking, released his death grip from the pole and instead clung to Joy with a vice like grip on her shoulders, now projecting his screams directly into her ears. Joy didn't seem to mind, though, as the cart reached the top of the loop and roared back down the other side. Eventually, Fear could take no more and closed his eyes, hearing a terrifying opera of his own screaming, Joys laughing, and the carts merciless squealing across the metal tracks. Gravity pulled him this way and that as he felt the ride continue to twist and twirl, rise and plunge, and then finally hit a straight away and ease to a steady stop.

Fear, clinging to Joy with all his might and with his eyes clenched shut, continued to scream at full volume, even as the floor of the launch pad raised and met the cart once again.

"FEAR." He could only barely hear Joy's voice over his own. "FEAR, YOU'RE OKAY. YOU MADE IT."

The last thing he remembered was thinking _'I actually made it?_ '

And the world around him faded to black.


	5. Chapter 5: A Missed Pebble

**Sorry for the delay on this chapter. On sunday, I lost my only source of income. Things have become extremely difficult. But I am looking into making writing my full time job. I may soon set up a or something similar, so that people can have the option to donate to myself so that I can keep the stories coming.**

 **I may even have exclusive short stories for the people willing to contribute. But it's gonna take me a while before I can get anything set up. I'll keep people updated via my tumblr.**

 **This chapter is a little shorter, but I hope you still enjoy it. Please be sure to review, and I'll make sure I have more next week!**

Chapter 5: A Missed Pebble

"... ... .. .. ..."

"... ..."

"... ... ...Earth to Fear? Come in, Fear."

Fear could hear voices talking around him, but it had taken him a moment to truly translate what was being said. His eyes, which had been open but could not see, slowly returned to full function as well. The black around him gave way to a hazy image of the Synaptic Impulse's boarding area, the electric blue coaster docked like a slumbering beast in the center of the room. Two final landmarks came into view; one was the perky and powdery blue mind worker in charge of the ride, who now wore a new look of concern, the other was the glowing figure of Joy, leaned down to Fear's face with a soft and delicate hand on his wrist.

"Fear? There you are!" Joy giggled, patting his wrist as if to celebrate some accomplishment. "We lost ya for a second there. How are you feeling?"

' _Humiliated_ ' was the first word that jumped into Fear's mind, followed by a few other choice words like ' _horrified_ ', ' _scarred_ ', and ' _done with rides forever_ '. But he couldn't voice any of these negative thoughts. He focused on Joy's shimmering blue eyes, sensing a feeling of shame somewhere in the back of her mind. Terrified that it was he whom Joy was ashamed of, he couldn't allow himself to sound upset or rude responding to the simple question.

So he forced a nervous smile and dropped his vision to the floor. "I'm f-fine!" He lied. "Just a little worn out. That was... some rush, huh? Heh..."

The mind worker, neither falling for his lies nor pretending to be fooled, clasped her hands together with unease, worried for this strange creature who had blacked out under her watch. "You really were out.." She said, watching his lavender eyes dart about, looking for any sign of injury. "Are you sure you're gonna be alright? Do you want me to call the parks Immune System outpost?"

"No no! I'm... I'm fine!" Fear immediately refused. Roller coaster failure or not, he still had an outing to finish. He had to at least TRY to save this perfect day with Joy. He was just about to stand himself up when he realized where he had been sitting; a strange, cushioned folding chair set at the rooms perimeter marked with ADRENALINE RUSH PARK on several spots. "How... Did I get over here?" He mumbled.

"We carried you over here when you actually stopped screaming." Joy blushed, trying to hold back innocent giggling to avoid upsetting Fear any further. "We figured you wouldn't want to come to and realize you were still in the ride."

Fear hung his head apologetically. "Geez, I'm sorry..." He mumbled solemnly. "I shouldn't have made you lug me around just because I stopped thinking..."

With a chuckle more resembling her attitude when they had first met her, the mind worker backed up a step and put a hand to her hip. "Oh, it was no trouble!" She smiled, trying her best to ease the nervous creatures guilt. "You're actually very light! We had no problem picking you up and moving you around."

Fear's head hung even lower. ' _I was afraid of that_.' He thought miserably, another instance of his inferior physical self being made painfully obvious. He closed hes eyes and let out a long sigh. He was still no closer to being that perfect male specimen, AND he had failed his plan b, having earned the pebble for completing the coaster but then having lost it right after when he blacked out. This outing, which he had meant as a way to prove himself to Joy, had made no progress whatsoever.

While his head was down and his focus elsewhere, the speckled mind worker gently took Joy's wrist in her own glittering hand and guided her a few steps away from Fear's quiet sulking, making sure they were completely outside of the lavender creatures hearing range. Joy quietly followed her lead, baffled but offering no word of hesitation or opposition.

"Are you sure you're little friend is gonna be alright?" She asked in a hushed whisper, releasing Joy's arm and guiding her confused and curious gaze back towards Fear. "I've seen people come off the coaster dazed before, but I've never seen anything like that."

Joy sighed, still studying Fear's slumped and moping posture from afar. "Yeah, he's okay." She reassured. "He sometimes goes into these panics when he's overstimulated. He doesn't really go on roller coasters much and, well, I guess the ride was just too much for him."

The mind worker shook her head with a look not unlike a concerned parental figure. "Well of course it was!" She quietly scoffed. "It's our newest and biggest attraction! Why would he choose to ride the Impulse if he knew he was afraid of thrill rides?"

The innocent question felt like a stab to Joy's heart. The shame Fear had spotted in her earlier came bubbling to the surface. "It's my fault..." Joy's somber voice had begun to waver. "I asked him to ride it with me. I just got so excited that I kind of... stopped thinking. I forgot that he probably couldn't handle it. I just wanted to share some fun with him..." The golden emotions face fell, the feeling of guilt consuming her from the inside.

Worried that she had offended or come off as judge mental, the mind worker quickly attempted to bring the conversation to a rapid end. She took an awkward step backward towards her post at the rides controls, clearing her throat with a forced cough. "Well, uh, if you're sure he's alright..." She nodded. "Just... take it easy for a while. His frayed nerves probably need a break."

Joy lifted her head, sporting a new expression of determination and dedication. "Right. Take it easy." She repeated, though the mind worker had already skittered off by now. "I can still do this."

Fear, whose thoughts had become a vortex of misery and self loathing, lifted his gaze instantly at the sound of Joy's approaching footsteps. He hadn't even noticed that she had walked off, but assumed by the standard glowing smile on her face that whatever she had done or said while absent hadn't been important.

"Come on, Fear!" She beamed, offering a hand to help him off his perch.

The skittish emotion stared nervously at Joy's palm, afraid of what terrifying adventure it had in store for him next. "C-come on where..?" He asked quietly, knowing that he would be unable to refuse no matter the plan or risk missing the chance at another pebble.

"I was thinking we could relax and cool off for a bit." Joy took his quivering hand in her own and pulled him to his feet, watching the color flood his face as it was suddenly brought so close to her own. "How about we check out that beach for a while?"

Fear smiled brightly at this idea. The beach sounded far less dangerous, and would be the perfect place for him to earn some more points. Joy, easily taking notice of his becoming more at ease, chuckled quietly and began to lead her lavender companion by the hand. Fear responded to this with his standard awkward smile, the blush in his cheeks radiating heat from his face.

As she cheerfully marched ahead, Joy unconsciously began to hum once more. She was going to prove to Fear that she could have fun without having to do something risky or overly adventurous. And, she hoped, maybe after some slow build up, she could get Fear relaxed enough to be more willing to join her on more exciting theme park rides. Her life style was just so much fun; she so badly wanted Fear to be able to experience it.

At the same time, Fear had begun to sweat. He was determined to prove his confidence and dedication to this relationship, and hoped that the beach would be just the opportunity he needed to do so.

' _I can still do this_.' Fear repeated internally to himself, as they passed beneath the Adrenaline Rush arch and back into Imagination Land's hub.


	6. Chapter 6: A Scene by the Sea

**EDIT:: SO I AM THE BIGGEST LAME HEAD DUMMY AND MADE A DUMB MISTAKE.  
**

 **AS YOU KNOW, THIS ENTIRE STORY IS DEDICATED TO THE WONDERFULLY AMAZING COCONUTCINNAMON.  
I TOTALLY FORGOT TO MENTION.  
THE GAG AT THE END OF THIS CHAPTER WAS LIFTED DIRECTLY FROM A SHORT AND HILARIOUS COMIC THAT SHE WROTE AND DREW. SHE IS IN THE PROCESS OF COLORING IT AND I PLAN ON MAKING A PANEL OF IT THE COVER FOR THIS BOOK.  
I SHOULD HAVE WAIT FOR HER TO FINISH IT AND I AM A BUTT. **

**YOU ALL SHOULD GO CHECK OUT COCONUTCINNAMON ON TUMBLR BECAUSE SHE IS AMAZING AND ONE OF THE MOST TALENTED ARTIST I HAVE EVER SEEN**

 **Sorry for that. OwO I had to fix this problem.**

* * *

 **I'm actually on time for this update, heh. But because the last one was so late, it feels too early.**

 **As you know, I have left my day job. Things are going to be very hard for me for quite a while. I am still thinking about setting up a way to donate to me, but this site censors the name of the website in question. I will keep you updated.**

 **After this story ends, I will finish up Out of Place, then begin Always by my Side.**

 **Please review! It's what makes me want to keep writing. Thank you all!**

Chapter 6: A Scene by the Sea

"It should be just a short walk this way. It says to look for the wall of palm trees..."

Fear, with his long face buried in the wrinkled paper, was carefully studying the Imagination Land map and mumbling aloud as he plodded along the trail of colorful puzzle pieces. Since the beach was such a new addition to the mindscape, he wanted to make one hundred percent sure he was going the right way. To get lost on a day like today when he was so determined to prove his worth to Joy; it would be beyond mortifying.

Walking just beside him, obscured from his vision by the crinkled mess, Joy excitedly tensed all the muscles in her golden form. She was so thrilled at the thought of visiting a beach. Sure, she had been there when Riley had visited the shore. But this would be the first time the emotion herself could experience the sun, the sand, and the surf upon her own glittering skin. This was a whole new experience, one that was almost too exciting to bear. But she did her best to keep her excitement contained. The mind worker had been right; now was the time to 'take it easy'. Fear needed to relax after the terror he had experienced aboard the massive thrill ride. If something were to startle him now, Joy thought, he would surely bail out from the entire adventure.

Lowering his eyebrows into a perplexed expression, Fear began to carefully fold the paper along it's worn creases. He had never seen even a single palm tree in the entirety of the mindscape. How then, he pondered, could there possibly be enough to form a full wall of them? Something didn't seem right.

No sooner did his eyes refocus on the path ahead than he had his answer. Just a few feet further down the colorful path stood a literal wall of brick and mortar. It's surface had been coated in a thick layer of sky blue lacquer, on which someone had painted dozens of cartoony interpretations of palm trees. Located in the center of this lonely brick wall was a huge white door decorated with the words 'Paradise Shores', with a bright red 'NOW OPEN' sign hung somewhat carelessly upon it's brass handle.

As they continued their approach, Joy felt her face droop unconsciously in mild disappointment. The entrance to this new beach section of Imagination Land certainly hadn't wowed her. It appeared so fake and haphazardly thrown together. She could only hope that what layed beyond the door was more exciting and true to life than the wall before her. But, as she had with her excitement, she kept her disappointment hidden, focused on keeping things as calm as possible for Fear.

The lavender emotion placed a quivering hand upon the door knob. He hesitated only long enough to cast a glance towards Joy, who held her breath in ecstatic anticipation. Fear smiled, managing to muster a small amount of confidence. He may have failed with the roller coaster, but a beach was something he knew he could handle. Earning this pebble, he decided, would be a walk in the park.

Fear quickly threw the door open, and the two emotions gazed in awe and wonder at yet another miracle of the mind realms. Inside the seemingly inconspicuous door frame was an entire shoreline; with a sunny sky and rolling surf stretching as far as their eyes could see. The endless miles of shimmering, finely ground sand were completely abandoned; barren save for the sparsely arranged blue umbrellas the mind workers had left for visitors. Off in the distance, they could see mammalian dorsal fins breaking the waters surface to breach for air, exhaling in plumes of ocean spray.

No longer able to contain herself, Joy sprinted past Fear and through the entryway, giggling excitedly at the feeling of the sand beneath her bare feet. Fear exhaled a blissful sigh as he watched her tromp away, always happy to see her so full of life. With a wide grin forming across his face, he carefully stepped through the door after her, turning to close it only to realize that, from this side, the door appeared on the side of an impossibly small shed in the endless dunes.

"The water feels perfect!" Joy exclaimed, her ankles submerged in the frothy surf. "We just have to go swimming! You said you packed towels and swimsuits, right?"

Fear stopped just short of the water and felt the color rise to his face. "Y-yeah." He coughed nervously, swinging his backpack around his shoulder and onto the moistened sand. Before he could react, Joy quickly unzipped the largest compartment and dug wildly through the contents, eventually removing the blue and white two piece suit Fear had located in the laundry.

Suit in hand, Joy began bounding back up the shore. "Come on!" She laughed. "There are some changing tents over this way!"

Fear returned his backpack to his shoulders and sighed, following the glittering dust of golden particles that trailed from Joy's form. The light specs lead the way to a cluster of tall square tents by the beach's entrance shed. The ecstatic emotion had already darted into one of them, zipping the loose and billowy flaps shut behind her. Fear took his place in the tent directly beside her's and sealed himself inside.

The tent was illuminated by the small amount of sun that seeped it's way through the bright white roof, the only feature present within a single bench half buried in the sand. Fear haphazardly tossed his backpack onto the seat and once again mournfully sighed, lowering his head and feeling his hair-like antenna do the same. He had only barely brought himself to change into his lightweight summery outfit currently upon his form. Now he would be forced to wear even less, exposing more of his frail and pathetic body to the world. He tried to remind himself how positively Joy had responded to his first outfit change, but his mind still had him convinced that his weak physical being was something to be ashamed of. Still, he had no other options; Joy was dead set on swimming. He wasn't about to disappoint her. Not again.

Fear removed his summer outfit and replaced it with a modest pair of dark red swim trunks. After packing away his shirt and shorts, he glanced down at his bare chest. His bones were so prominent, he could literally trace the outline of his own rib cage within his slender torso. The lavender creature sighed. Overcoming this physical flaw, he thought, would require a whole lot of pebbles.

Deciding his best option was to draw as little attention to his form as possible, Fear threw his pack over one shoulder and marched out of the tent, trying his best to look nonchalant. But his display was without audience; Fear had actually beaten Joy in getting changed. She was only just emerging from her cocoon like tent.

"Ready to go!" Joy chirped, and Fear quickly whipped around in her direction. As his eyes fell upon her shape, he could feel his entire face skyrocket in temperature. So much of her glittering golden skin was now revealed, more than Fear had ever seen of her perfect form before. As sweat began to form on his skin, Fear realized he was staring and hurriedly turned his eyes back to the beach.

"W-w-we... I-I... I... Sh..." Fear attempted to communicate, but stopped himself only seconds in. It was clear that his mouth wasn't about to cooperate, not with how hard he was shaking as his super heated face dripped with sweat. Instead of embarrass himself further, he simply stopped talking altogether and chose to just show Joy what he was doing instead of try to explain.

As Fear began awkwardly stepping toward a nearby umbrella, Joy couldn't help but smile. She didn't have to ask if he thought her swimsuit looked good on her; his mindless stuttering had already answered that question. As she followed behind, she took note of his own appearance in this highly revealing new outfit. She hadn't actually voiced it often, but she was extremely fond of Fear's svelte physique. She didn't really know how to explain it. Something about his unique proportions seemed to make him aesthetically pleasing to the eye, even, she'd admit, attractive. But the only person she had ever admitted this to was Sadness, on those random sleepless nights when the two roommates would freely tell each other their own secret thoughts. She couldn't tell Fear himself. Even compliments, she worried, could scare the poor critter off, especially if they were even the slightest bit intimate.

So while her instincts told her to say something sweet to him in return for his awkward way of complimenting, she forced herself to remain silent. Continuing plodding through the deep sand, she sighed, mildly upsetted. It seemed she would have to find a way to calm his nerves before she could really open up to him about her inner most feelings. The mind workers advice repeated once again in her mind; her best shot was to take it easy.

Feeling a little less flustered and more in control of his own mind, Fear confidently threw his pack towards the base of a colorful beach umbrella. Digging quickly through the contents, he located and retrieved a long, royal blue towel and laid it out across the shaded sand. Once placed, he dove back into the bag, this time removing a brilliant orange and yellow towel. This he placed directly next to the first, looking to Joy with a blushing smile and gesturing towards the bright cloth.

Joy, her entire being tingling with excitement, quickly flopped down onto the towel provided to her. As Fear gently took a seat on the towel beside hers, Joy folded her hands behind her head and contentedly closed her eyes. The crisp smell of the salty ocean spray flew across the shore on a warm summer breeze. The golden emotion listened to the rolling surf moving in a moon guided rhythm, accented by the excited clicks and whistles of the aquatic creatures porpoising through the air. Her smile widened and her entire figure glowed. This was the beach experience she had been hoping so long for.

Joy was roused from her trance like state by the sharp sound of a zipper. Her eyes fluttered back open and she turned, watching as Fear carefully opened the smaller front pocket of his purple backpack to reveal a small bottle of off white colored cream. He took the squeeze bottle firmly in one of his large lavender hands, tossing the backpack away, and put a small helping of the goo into his other palm.

"What is that?" Joy asked with a smile, sitting up on her elbows.

Fear began to apply the cream to his exposed shoulders and forearms. "Oh..." He mumbled shyly. "I-it's sun screen..."

Joy tilted her head as she watched him continue to coat himself. "Do emotions get sunburns...?" She asked innocently. She knew for a fact that she had never had one before. Only through Riley had they ever experienced the pain of unprotected, sun exposed skin. And it had been a nightmare of pain, blisters, and slimy aloe everywhere.

Blushing slightly, only to coat his colored cheeks in more of the white sunscreen, Fear shrugged his shoulders. "I... Don't actually know." He chuckled. "I never have before... But, then again, we've never had a place like this with such a realistic looking sun. I figured it's better safe than sorry."

Joy giggled. It still seemed like a silly idea to her. But Fear seemed to live by the phrase Better Safe than Sorry, just as much as Joy had learned to Always Stop and Smell the Roses. Maybe, she decided, she could prove to Fear that she was willing to be focused on safety as well. After all, Fear seemed to only see her as enjoying terrifying activities that involved the risking of life and limb. So she decided that, rather than argue with him, she would follow the example he had given.

After he had coated every inch of his exposed skin but before he could return it to its pouch, Joy held out a hand towards Fear. He glanced up at her, an expression of mild surprise on his blotchy fuscia and white face.

"Could I use it too?" She asked sweetly.

Fears entire face lit up at her question. The other emotions always teased him for being so cautious. But Joy was... actually agreeing with him? He felt honored and validated by her request. "Sure!" He grinned awkwardly, and dropped the small bottle into her waiting golden hand.

As Joy began to apply the lotion to her own glittering skin, Fear felt the familiar feeling of butterflies in his stomach, and he turned his brightly colored face towards the water. As she began to hum once more, Fear tried his hardest to focus his thoughts on the shimmering rolling sea before him, attempting to lower the temperature in his cheeks.

Suddenly, Joy thrust the bottle back into Fear's unsuspecting hand. As he turned to try and question the bizarre behavior, Joy threw herself stomach first onto the towel and gestured toward her glowing back.

"I can't reach." She explained. "Could you please get my back?"

Fear's entire face erupted into a deep crimson blush, his antennae appendage standing almost completely straight. He was thankful Joy's face was turned towards the towel beneath her and not towards his flustered reaction as he carefully studied all the subtle dips and grooves in her back.

Before he even had a chance to recover from the shock and embarrassment, Joy quickly made it worse. "Oh, hang on." She mumbled, lifting up slightly and fumbling with the knot in the back of her swim suit top. "I want you to get my whole back, just in case." She managed to coax the string loose, then layed back down onto her stomach with her top unattached.

Fear's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. He could feel the sweat dripping from his face, a tremor surging up his spine. The thought of touching her bare back, it tangled a knot deep within his stomach. He tried to swallow but his mouth was too dry. He wasn't sure he could bring himself to do this...

But Fear had to fight through. This was definitely another opportunity for a pebble. He let the last one slip through his fingers; he couldn't miss this one too! So, even through his shivering and sweating, he lowered his eyebrows into a determined expression, and he squeezed a helping of sun screen into his trembling hand.

Fear had only just started on applying the cream to her shoulders when he felt her entire figure jolt in realization. In an instant, she bolted upright with a gasp and whirled around to the startled creature behind her.

"Ah! My summery clothes!" She exclaimed. "I left them in the changing tent!"

And with that, she turned and charged back up the dunes to the colorful tents, kicking clouds of sand with every step..

Fear, whose jaw had dropped and whose heart had stopped when Joy had leapt to her feet, sat frozen, blushing from his cheeks to his toes. He was still for a moment or two, only forcing himself out of the trance with violent shakes of his head.

"J-J-JOY!" He shouted, unable to control his stutter. "JOY P-PLEASE. PUT Y-Y-YOUR TOP BACK ON!"


	7. Chapter 7: Lurking Beneath the Surface

**Still trying to keep up with things. This story is nearing a close. Shouldn't be too much longer now. But I've got more to come!**

 **I am still working to set up a place to accept donations. It's already getting harder with no income. And if enough people supported me, I could write full time. I could write stories a thousand times faster!**

 **Please be sure and review, as that is just as important to me to keep me writing! Hearing from you is so awesome! And you can feel free to contact me to chat here or on my tumblr.**

 **AND DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT COCONUTCINNAMON 'S ART FOR WHERE I GOT INSPIRATION FOR THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER ON HER TUMBLR.**

Chapter 7: Lurking Beneath the Surface

Joy's golden hands gently fussed with her swim suit, adjusting the blue and white cloth to make sure it was snug and secure. Satisfied with the sturdiness of the knot, she happily sat herself back down onto the towel beneath her, shaded from the glorious glittering sun above by the wide beach umbrella in the sand. She layed herself slowly onto her back, beaming a blissful smile skyward, enjoying the warmth of the summer breeze over her beady glowing skin.

Fear took in a slow, shaky breath. His cheeks still retained a smidgen of color from the topless incident only moments earlier, and he was trying to calm himself back down, though he was being met with some difficulty as he tried to ignore the image now burned into his retinas. He continued his deep, calming breathing, looking instead to the rise and fall of the cerulean surf as it rolled its frothy waves upon the sand, trying to keep his thoughts from drifting elsewhere.

Though the incident had thoroughly flustered Fear, Joy thought nothing of it. As she lay on the beach absorbing the warmth in the air, she sighed contentedly, as if she had simply fetched her outfit from the tent without anything interesting happening along the way. After all, modesty was a branch of fear. So while the feeling was severely muted to her, it was insanely heightened in him.

Fear was also mildly frustrated. Laying on his stomach, he repeatedly traced an infinity symbol into the sand with his finger, repeatedly going over the past twenty minutes in his mind. In the chaos, yet another chance for a pebble had been snatched away from him. It was just within his grasp; but because Joy had bolted away, her back remained unprotected from the sun. He would've reminded her once she returned that she still had exposed skin so he could complete her request, but he could hardly manage a sentence after the fact for almost ten minutes straight. So he reluctantly let the opportunity pass him. This was getting annoying. He defiantly told himself that he was refusing to miss the next one. And he knew just how to get it.

In a swift and surprisingly bold move, Fear leapt to his slender, lavender feet. Joy, somewhat startled by the sound, lazily rolled her head and opened her starry blue eyes to complete her quizzical expression.

He held a widespread hand in her direction. "Come on, Joy!" He smiled, confident yet still unable to prevent his facial color change. "Let's go swimming!"

A huge wave of excited energy immediately flew through her entire body, and Joy sat up in an instant. "All right!" She shouted, placing a golden hand into Fear's palm. "Let's do it!" As she pulled Fear's spindly arm to rise to her feet, she beamed a beautiful smile. She was so happy, even astounded, that it had been Fear who had suggested to go swimming. Maybe, she thought, he really was learning how to relax and have fun, as she did.

Up on her feet, Joy refused to release her colleagues hand, and instead dragged the skittish emotion behind her as she plowed through the sand to where the sea lapped at the surface. Fear, doing his best to control his anxiety, followed clumsily behind with a nervous chuckle. This was working.

Joy only released Fear's hand once she was ankle deep, as moving forward now increased in difficulty and she required both arms for balance. Without Joy's leading, Fear slowed significantly. The water, though warmer than he expected, was still a shocking temperature change as it splashed against his bare skin. And as the depth around him increased, so too did all his fearful thoughts, mostly concerning all the dangerous sea life that could be swimming unseen all around him. But he quickly drowned these thoughts out with another glance at Joy. Her picturesque form moved gracefully in her excitement, with splashes of glistening seawater sparkling around her ankles and accenting her natural glow. For Joy, he told himself. This was all for Joy.

As she entered water deep enough for her stomach to become partially submerged, Joy noticed the sound of her follower had diminished. She paused and turned with a wide grin, noting that Fear was still a few good steps away and slowing. She waved an arm, gesturing towards herself. "Come on, Fear!" She chirped, trying her hardest to be encouraging.

Fear returned her upbeat smile, though his involved more red in his cheeks, and continued to make his way forward. Though the anxious thoughts became louder and the feeling of dread more nagging, he managed to stay focused on Joy long enough to join her in the water. He noticed his slender torso had begun to quiver, no doubt a result both of his worrying and of the cool water, and he nervously kneaded his hands with an embarrassed giggle.

His quaking nerves obvious from the ripples reaching out from where his body broke the surface, Joy decided this was deep enough for now. She offered a playful laugh and lowered herself into the water, kicking off the sand and gracefully floating backwards using her own natural buoyancy.

Carefully studying her subtle movements to stay afloat, Fear attempted to follow her lead. Ignoring the alarms and warnings of his own psyche, he leaned down until the tips of his shoulders were barely visible. Slowly yet with little hesitation, he allowed his feet to leave the muddy sand beneath, imitating the swim style he had learned from Riley's swim instructor and paddling over to Joy. Due to his odd shape, his stubby legs offered little propulsion, and he relied instead on his long arms and large palms to push him forward, which he found worked quite admirably as both his engine and his steering.

Somewhat surprised by this talent he never knew he had, Fear grinned widely. Pushing this time a tad more vigorously, he swam in an excited circle all around Joy. She immediately found the silly display adorable, and emitted a bubbling laughter as she spun in the water, tracking his face as he moved. Fear laughed too. This was... fun! _Maybe Joy was righ_ t, he pondered. _Maybe it doesn't hurt to let your gaurd down sometimes.._."

Fear's own excitement only invigorated Joy further. Her eyes gleamed with a new plot. Now that he was having fun, it was time to, gently, start pushing him a little harder.

She rolled forward again and stood tall upon her feet, remembering just how shallow the water still was. As entertaining as shallow water swimming was, it didn't compare in Joy's mind to swimming where the water was deep, dark, and so brilliantly blue. "Come on!" She signaled ahead. "Lets go even deeper! To where we can't stand!"

All the enjoyment he had mustered seemed to dissipate in an instant as the realization of Joy's request washed over him. Deeper? Where they couldn't stand? The danger would soon escalate to levels he could never ignore. Fear forced a phony smile and nodded, and Joy merrily spun around and continued further out to sea toward the shimmering horizon. When her gaze was gone, his face immediately fell into an expression of worry and concern. Wasn't the shallow swimming fun? Why couldn't they have just stuck to that? Fear eeked out a quiet whimper. He should've known the pebble wouldn't be acquired that easily.

Fear took in a deep breath. ' _This is all for Joy_ ', He told himself. ' _Just go one step at a time_ '.

With the density of the water absorbing most of the quivering in his knees, Fear shuffled a few nervous steps forward. As the water grew darker and more of his glowing lavender particles disappeared beneath the surface, his thoughts of terror and dread began to scream ever louder. As each step pressed on the sandy sea floor, he imagined a sleeping stingray being rudely awoken and jabbing a barb into the offending ankle. As each leg swung forward, he could almost see half a dozen sharks lunging at exposed toes, some with mouths wide enough to take off an entire leg in one diabolical bite. Crabs were posed and ready to pinch, Jellyfish floated lazily by to apathetically sting, a lion fish whose warning colors went unnoticed was prepared to inject any threats with a toxic venom.

As Fear's foot once again impacted the sand below, a foreign object rubbed across his calf muscle with a feather like touch. Fear's mind instantly flooded with thousands of terrified thoughts as to what this lurking danger might be, immediately overwhelming his entire being. He quickly let loose an ear piercing shriek that cut through the summer air like a dagger, causing Joy to turn fast. With his horrified eyes constricting and his expressive hair like appendage standing up straight, he forced his body backwards, nearly tripping and falling beneath the waves.

"IT TOUCHED ME." He screeched, the thought of pebbles now absent from his mind. "SOMETHING JUST TOUCHED ME. I'M GOING TO DIE!"

"What is it, Fear?" Joy called back to him, concerned, but having trouble hearing him over the ambient sounds of the ocean.

As he screamed, the mysterious underwater being gently tickled his knee, and he started to shriek even louder. Terrified, he plunged a hand into the brine and groped blindly for the object, nabbing the slimy thing in his grip and yanking it toward the surface where he determined it would be defenseless.

Hanging limp from his fist was a harmless hunk of seaweed that he had accidentally stumbled into while wading through the water. This, Fear realized, was the mysterious creature that had sent him into a frenzy. Slowly, the embarrassment set in, and Fear's face once more erupted into a crimson glow. He slowly brought his shame filled gaze up towards Joy, and was embarrassed even further to find that she was desperately trying to hold back her laughter.

"Hey, it's okay, Fear!" She giggled, keeping the bulk of her chuckle at bay. "You're alright. It's just seaweed! Now come on! We're almost deep enough!"

 _'Actually,_ you're _almost deep enough_...' Fear sighed. He was still a considerable distance behind the golden figure. And now he was filled with so much shame and embarrassment... His display, he decided, had already cost him the pebble. It was clear that he was simply too much of a coward to join Joy in any of the activities she found fun.

"N-no..." Fear sighed, keeping his voice loud not only so Joy could hear him but also to disguise his depression. "You go on ahead. I'll... I'll just stay here where it's shallow for a while." He forced a small smile. "You have fun..."

Joy's keen eye saw straight through the false grin upon Fear's face. She lowered her shoulders in sorrow, struck by another wave of guilt. She had pushed the poor creature too hard again. Just as before, his natural concern and anxiety had worked him into a panic from too much being asked of him. Joy felt her face fall. Surely the fake smile was to mask his frustration towards her insensitivity.

Desperate not to upset him any further, Joy simply decided to do as Fear said. "Alright." She grinned, hoping her fake smile was more convincing than his had been. "I'm just going out a little further. I'll come and join you later."

Both emotions turned in opposite directions, allowing their faces to reveal their true feelings now that the other couldn't see. As Fear slowly waded closer to shore, he could hear Joy swim the other way, no doubt to have fun in the deeper waters without him. When the water was shallow enough, Fear knelt down in the sand, the water lapping at his shoulders.

He had been trying so hard during this outing, doing things he normally would never attempt. Yet he had nothing to show for it. If he couldn't find another opportunity to prove himself fast, then it might be time, he worried, to admit that he simply wasn't good enough for Joy.


	8. Chapter 8: A Triple Threat

**A QUICK MESSAGE BEFORE THE NEW CHAPTER.**

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Chapter 8: A Triple Threat

'Maybe it really is time to consider it.' His mournful thoughts filled his mind. 'Maybe she really does deserve so much better than me.'

The negative thoughts, heavy with depression, had begun to physically weigh his head down, and he lowered his gaze to the fractured image of his knees beneath the waves. This was a thought process that had been in the back of his mind for a long time. In fact, it had manifested itself the very day he had realized his infatuation with the lead emotion within Riley's mind. But he had tried his absolute hardest to keep the thought repressed. He hated how selfish it made him feel, to put his own needs over Joy's by refusing to acknowledge his inadequacies. But it was just too painful to consider. He simply couldn't handle the thought of living his life without Joy by his side.

He had briefly managed to contain these tortured considerations with his idea to prove his commitment to Joy and their relationship. Just as the penguins that had been on his mind all day, he convinced himself that if he could just focus on gathering the shiny pebbles, taking the extra time and effort to do grand things for Joy, then he could negate all of his physical failings. But with this outing, where he had failed at every chance to show his worth, the painful thoughts of what Joy deserved had easily resurfaced. It was now all he could think about. And when he tried to silence them, telling himself that he was good enough for her, he felt guilty.

"No one deserves a partner so terrible at everything, too cowardly to even make up for his shortcomings..." His mind repeated endlessly. "Especially not someone as perfect as Joy. She deserves nothing short of prince charming, not the lowly pauper with a foolish, unobtainable crush."

Fear breathed a sigh into the waters surface, watching it echo as tiny ripples quickly overtaken by the tide. Beneath the water, he could see small fish swimming past his legs and stomach, curious of his strikingly lavender color. Their tiny bodies shined with glimmering rainbow scales just like a particular aquatic species present in a book Riley had loved as a child. As they circled around, pecking at his bathing suit here and there in an attempt to taste, they began to lose interest and swam away, one by one. When only two remained; a rather shiny specimen and another whose scales had been shed to a slim few still retaining the rainbow sheen, they swam up close to one another, swimming in a tight circle almost as if dancing together. Then, in perfect unison, the last two fish left together, swimming side by side, close enough to waft a fin gently over the others body, setting out for the deeper ocean.

Fear lowered his thick eyebrows into a half hearted scowl. "Show offs..." He growled.

As he raised his gaze back to the sunlit shore, he innocently wondered what Joy must be doing. While he hoped she didn't plan to stay out in the deep waters for too long without him, he also didn't want to be demanding in rushing her back to the shallow waters with him. Curiosity overtaking his body, Fear leaned onto a hand planted firmly in the muddy sand and turned to face the horizon where the water turned a deep, radiant blue.

It didn't take any time at all to spot her golden figure glowing against the cerulean background of sea and sky. But there was also something else that caught his attention just as quickly, resulting in a sharp gasp of worry. It couldn't be, could it? Surely he must be mistaken!

Out in the deep waters where the waves rolled by as lazy humps of blue, Joy gently floated in the cool seawater. As each wave past, she only barely had to flap an arm or kick a foot to rise and fall with the hump, her own buoyancy taking care of the rest. The near effortless drifting relaxed the energetic emotion, allowing her some much needed time to think.

She had been so excited the day before, when Fear had finally worked up the courage to ask her out on a date. Even though he hadn't actually called it one. But it felt to Joy like a sign that he was finally beginning to loosen up. She had been so desperate to just explain all of the feelings she had for Fear, but had previously been too terrified to say anything. Fear was so skittish, so jumpy; and if he became overexcited, his first instinct was always to bail. And with this outing and how many times she had let her excitement get the better of her and cloud her judgement, forcing Fear into things he could never do... She was sure if she tried to admit any of these bottled feelings that Fear would flee in an instant. Joy couldn't even consider that happening. The thought of losing him was one thought she couldn't face.

Joy, drifting up with the next rolling wave, felt a shuddering sigh escape her lips. Her mind was working at triple capacity, trying it's hardest to think of any way she could still salvage some mutual enjoyment from this journey. If she could just end the outing on a positive note, then this adventure would not have been made in vain. She slowly spun around and shifted her gaze to the endless horizon, lost in her thoughts.

A good distance away where the water was still shallow, Fear had sprung up from where he was sitting. His resting anxiety level had evolved into terror, and he waved his hands high above his head, shouting a chorus of warnings and exclamations in a desperate attempt to catch Joy's attention. But the waves crashing all around him and the pressure powered ocean wind that blew by with a roar made him incredibly hard to hear. Not to mention that the golden emotions thoughts were elsewhere. In her own little world, the sounds of the world beyond fell silent.

In fact, Joy had actually begun to slowly paddle herself further into the deep waters, almost as an underwater form of pacing to try and help power her mental processes. As she blindly approached the perceived threat that her colleague was attempting to warn her of, she was finally brought out of her trance by a sudden motion in the water. Turning her focus back to the physical word around her, she watched as three triangular fins broke the surface of the dark blue waters just ahead of her. Before she could react, they had closed in on her, all three creatures circling around her golden form with only their fins visible as a warning flag.

Fear clawed at the sides of his face in horror and frustration. He had been unable to alert Joy to the underwater threat in time for her to flee. Fear decided she only had one other option; to fight. But judging by the size of their bulky, curved fins menacingly circling her form, these creatures were far bigger than any emotion. And three against one? Joy wouldn't stand a chance.

The horrifying thought of Joy's safety being at risk suddenly drowned out all other worries in the lavender creatures mind. His own safety had taken a back seat to hers; he had to rescue her no matter the danger. He plowed back into the shallow waters and began swimming at full speed towards his glowing companion, still trying to attract her attention with shouts ultimately drowned out by the crashing waves. But with his odd proportions and fighting against the current, he was progressing slowly. He only hoped he could make it in time.

Meanwhile, Joy studied the three fins circling her with a child-like curiosity, spinning with them almost as if hypnotized by their perfectly synced motions. In the sun, they seemed to shimmer in a pastel pink color, covered in specks of moisture that glistened like glitter. Still unaware of her slow approaching 'savior', Joy had rejected any thoughts of dread that manifested during the creatures sudden approach. Instead, she twirled with the three unseen beasts, dancing and giggling her unmistakable bubbling laugh.

The three fins came to a halt, turning to face the emotion centered between them. From out of the dark sapphire waters emerged three strange faces, long and pointed with a downy coat of fur, long bristled whiskers, and a huge mouth full of sharp, cone shaped fangs.

"You're right! It is her!" One of the creatures squeaked excitedly, gesturing to the emotion with it's long snout and wiggling its tiny ears.

"I told you." Another one chirped, swimming closer to the first. "I'd know her anywhere!"

"She's so shiny in person..." The third beast marveled, swimming all around Joy from behind to join its brethren grouped in front of her. "And so soft looking."

Joy, mildly bewildered but ultimately flattered by the creatures fascination with her, offered out a golden hand, using the other to continue to support her treading water.

"Hi, there!" She smiled, the strange aquatic animals responding in awe. "I'm Joy! Who are you guys?"

Suddenly sporting a wide smile of sharp teeth, the center creature lifted two huge webbed paws similar to the flippers of a seal but coated in a dense pink fur. It took Joy's petite hands in it's grasp, shaking her hand as best it could with such stubby wrists and arms.

"It really really is you, Joy!" It giggled excitedly. "We've always wanted to meet you in person! You were the part of Riley who would play with us for hours, at every pool and aquarium!"

Joy's brow instantly dropped down in deep thought, engulfed by her own memories of the past. Realization suddenly struck her, and she nearly lept out of the water with excitement.

"I remember you!" She smiled brightly. "You're the Pink Dolph-otters! Riley made you guys up after her first trip to the aquarium when she was barely 2! What have you guys been up to? I haven't seen you in years!"

"Oh, we've been around." The creature on the left nodded. "Riley doesn't really play with us anymore, but she tends to remember us on occasion."

"Especially when she draws." The right one added. "And knowing she remembers us is all we really need."

"Other than that, we just hang out here in Imagination Land." The first Dolphin Otter combination released Joy's hand from its flippers. "You'd be surprised how many imaginary friends still roam around down here. We don't really have any work anymore, so we spend our time just enjoying what Riley's creative imagination is up to now. When we heard they were installing a beach, we knew it would be the perfect place for us, as well as a few other aquatic friends here and there."

"What brings an emotion like you to these parts of the mind?" One questioned with a curious tilt of its head.

"Oh! I'm here with Fear. He and I sort of... Wanted to enjoy a day off." Joy blushed. "We've just been exploring all the additions they've added around here."

The imaginary animal on the right lifted its face up higher with a gleam in its eye. "Another emotion is here?" It squeaked. "Where is he? I want to see!"

"Yeah! He's right over..."

As Joy turned to face the shore and shallow waters, she finally noticed Fear's frenzied display. Passing the point where he could no longer stand, he splashed and struggled wildly, still fighting his way forward in a panic. His eyes were shut tight as his flailing limbs continued to spray salty sea water in every direction, and he coughed and sputtered from the water that had entered his throat. Still, he pressed on, determined to save Joy from the threatening monsters of the depths.

Joy could tell Fear was terrified, and his horrified, frenzied swimming was putting him in unnecessary danger. "Fear!" She shouted, trying to free him from his panic. "Fear! It's okay! They're friends!"

Joy's voice cut through all the sounds of splashing and sputtering the lanky emotion had generated, and his eyes instantly snapped open. His thrashing slowed, and he raised his head to see that the mysterious fins he had interpreted as a threat belonged not to any shark or sea monster, but to soft, harmless animals invented in Riley's past. Joy was never in any danger after all.

As he came to a stop, desperately gasping for air, he could feel his mind begin to numb. What he thought was a noble attempt to save his distressed colleague that would earn him a thousand pebbles was merely his own cowardly mind overreacting again, thoroughly embarrassing him in front of Joy. As the realization set in, he could feel the embarrassment manifest itself as a heated blush on his entire face. All at once, he was hit with the fatigue, the exhaustion, the relief, and the shame of his panicked actions. His mind numbed further. Slowly, his chalky irises rolled back, and he slipped into unconsciousness, quickly sinking deep below the surface.

"Fear!" Joy shouted, paddling over as fast as she could.

Knowing that Joy simply wasn't fast enough to make it to the fallen figure in time, the three Dolph-Otters sprang out of the water, leaping over Joy's head and diving into the brine in search of the unconscious creature. As Joy frantically continued towards the shore, she saw the three of them lift his limp body above the waves with their snouts, and they carefully began to push him towards the shallow waters. Joy followed just behind, her chest tight with worry for her cowardly comrade, watching the swells of the ocean coat his sides in a crust of sea salt. To her horror, he didn't appear to move at all.

As the group made it to the shallows, the three aquatic mammals pushed the limp emotion onto the sandy shore, the waves still washing over his fingers and ankles. Joy charged up the sand ahead, lifting Fear beneath his arms and moving him a few steps further inland. Riley had never taken a swim lesson high enough to learn CPR, so Joy was at a loss for what to do. She could, however, remember the recovery position she had briefly been taught in health class. So Joy rolled Fear onto his side with his arms draped in front of him.

Though he was still warm to the touch, it was clear that he had stopped breathing, his body automatically shutting down that system when the lungs received nothing but water. Joy wracked her brain for a solution to the problem, but simply didn't know what to do. Panicked, se leaned down to him, carefully yet forcefully slapping at Fear's back just between his shoulder blades.

"Fear!" She yelped. "Come on, Fear! Get up!"

Thankfully, all the fallen creature had required was a restart to his breathing. And the swift knocks behind his lungs were just the thing to bring the system back to life. He weakly coughed, each breath bringing with it an ounce of sea water, until finally his lungs were clear and he began a shaky but steady breathing pattern, weakly moaning as his consciousness prepared to return.

Joy breathed a huge sigh of relief, relaxing her tensed muscles and moving her hand to gently stroke Fear's upper arm.

"Oh my goodness, Fear..." She gasped, adrenaline still flowing through her veins. "Don't scare me like that... I don't know what I'd do without you."

Had Fear been fully conscious, he most likely would've blushed at the statement.


	9. Chapter 9: One Last Hope

**Alrighty! We are so close to the end, here! It's probably gonna be 1 or 2 more chapters, then an epilogue, and then it's FINISHED. WEEE! And that means I'm moving right into the next story; the special exclusive p a tr eo n only sequel/prequel to Always by my Side, followed by the finale of Out of Place, and then Always by my Side itself! And theres more to come after that too! So hold on tight!**

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 **Now, please enjoy! This chapter gets a little more sad, but it will be worth it for the end! Relax, read, review (please!) and enjoy!**

Chapter 9: One Last Hope

The sound of the rolling surf felt more like the audible cloud of tv static that lingered in Fear's mind as he began to regain consciousness. His senses started up again one by one; starting with his hearing, then quickly moving to his sense of smell as the scent of the ocean spray overtook him, reminding him exactly where he was when he blacked out. Taste followed soon after, the awful sting of salt water still lingering in his mouth. He began to feel next, noticing a gentle touch gliding repeatedly down his arm as well as the radiating warmth from the sun shining on his skin. Finally, his eyes began to translate the scenery beyond, bringing him out of the darkness and back to the world around him.

With a pained groan, Fear tried to lift his head from the sand to get a better look around. His gaze was pointed towards the ocean, where three curious creatures layed on their belly's half beached in the surf. Sand clung to their downy pink fur, and their long faces looked to Fear with expressions of confusion and concern. As Fear weakly rolled onto his back, he found his glowing comrade sitting over him, looking down into his eyes and breathing in heavy sighs of relief.

Memories as to what lead to his blacking out quickly returned as he studied Joy's golden face. He did it again. He thoroughly embarrassed himself in front of the one person he had tried so hard to impress. Not only had he made a fool of himself by trying to save Joy from a threat that hadn't existed, but he had wound up putting _himself_ in danger. In the end, it was _he_ who had required rescuing from his own panicked mind. He could feel his form become consumed by overwhelming shame and embarrassment, and he put his hands to his face in an effort to hide from the world.

Joy, instantly recognizing the pain in his expression, felt the sharp sting of guilt in her chest. She couldn't help but blame herself for Fear's near drowning experience. If she hadn't pushed him, if she hadn't tried to coax him into the deep waters, if she had just stayed by his side where he felt safe; none of this would've happened. The feeling was inescapable; this was all her fault.

Peering between his lavender fingers, Fear watched as Joy turned away, not even able to maintain eye contact with him any longer. He felt his pulse threaten to stop as he came to his heart breaking conclusion; she was ashamed of him. No matter what he did, he just couldn't prove himself to her. All his attempts during this outing had ended in miserable failure, and now Joy couldn't even bring herself to lay eyes on him. A whirlwind of chaotic thoughts tore through Fear's mind, resulting in a devastating decision.

' _I'm just not good enough for Joy_.'

Though it pained him to his very core, he decided he could no longer continue this relationship with a clear conscience. Not when it seemed so abundantly clear that he was causing Joy such pain and embarrassment. This was the final straw; it was time to admit defeat.

As Fear and Joy sat quietly with their minds suffocating in self loathing thoughts, it was one of the trio of strange animal hybrids that finally broke the uncomfortable silence.

"Well, that was kind of scary, huh?" The creature chirped to his brethren, mildly surprising Fear with its ability to speak. "Especially since you weren't even breathing when we got you outta there."

The dolph-otter just beside the first nodded his head solemnly, salty brine dripping from the tips of his whiskers. "Yeah, are you sure you're okay? You swallowed a lot of sea water..."

Fear's eyes trailed from the imaginary animals back to the sand beneath the elbow he had propped himself up on. It was even more embarrassing that the monsters he was attempting to rescue Joy from had been the ones who had saved him from drowning. He breathed a long sigh. He couldn't break up with Joy in front of an audience.

"Yeah..." Fear lied, his voice almost completely monotone. "I'm fine..."

"You should at least drink some fresh water after that." The third of the animals insisted. "After ingesting that much salt? You gotta re hydrate. I hope you've got some water bottles on ya or something."

Joy wordlessly agreed with the creatures. This, she knew, was a fact they had picked up during Riley's first ocean vacation. Riley had been playing with these same imaginary friends when a particularly strong wave knocked her backwards. When her father had helped his shaken and sputtering daughter back to her feet, he had immediately lead her back to shore, where he offered her some water from their cooler in the sand. Joy wasn't sure if the same rules applied to emotions, but knew it couldn't hurt. She glanced quizzically at Fear's backpack beneath the umbrella.

Fear followed her eyes to his discarded pack, then slowly shook his head. "I... I didn't pack any water..." He mumbled, another failure of his brought to his attention.

Reassuringly, Joy patted Fear's still sandy shoulder. "I'm sure we could get you some water back at Adrenaline Rush." She helpfully suggested. "They had concession stands just like a real theme park."

Thinking the idea over, Fear finally nodded. He did remember seeing a few stands advertising food and drink. More importantly, however, he remembered how abandoned the park had been. The only ones present besides themselves had been a scarce few mind workers scattered about. This, he decided, would be the place where he'd inform Joy of his choice to part ways.

"Alright." He sighed, anxiety quickly building within him. "Let's go."

* * *

Fear gingerly opened the small shacks door, the entirety of imagination land somehow held within. He stepped backwards as he pulled the entryway open wider, gesturing to allow Joy in first without making eye contact so she couldn't see the sorrow hiding deep within. Daintily stepping through the portal, she quickly adjusted her denim shorts. They had both changed back into their summery outfits rather quickly. Fear had clearly been in a hurry to leave the shoreline, and Joy hadn't wanted to keep him waiting. Once completely crossed over to the other side, she turned and took one last glance at the endless ocean, noting the glorious shimmer of sunlight off the brilliant blue waters and catching a final glimpse of pink dorsal fins as the dolph-otters made their way back to the deep.

Fear, on the other hand, made it a point to not look back. It was too painful. The beach was so beautiful and pristine, completely living up to it's name Paradise Shores. And yet he had still managed to ruin Joy's fun with his endless worrying. Not noticing that she was still trying to study the view beyond, Fear quickly yanked the entrance shut behind him, trying in vain to leave the painful memories of his failures behind the door.

The beach now completely hidden behind the crudely painted brick wall, Fear continued forward without hesitation, and Joy slowly trailed behind. He hadn't uttered a word since he had agreed to return to the amusement park, and Joy could feel her insides begin to ache. Fear was almost never this quiet. He was always making some sort of ambient sounds, be it yelping in surprise, whining with anxiety, or giggling in embarrassment. This uncomfortable silence was a clear indication that something was on his mind, and Joy was having nothing but difficulties trying to figure out what he was thinking.

Little did she know that his silence came from an overwhelming feeling of uncertainty. He knew he was going to end his relationship with Joy; he had firmly decided that already and refused to go back on the decision. The question was how? He couldn't tell her the truth. If he admitted that he was leaving her because of his own inadequacy, she would surely respond with sympathy and insist on them staying together. But he couldn't let that happen. He loved Joy too much to see her spending her life with anything less than the perfect figure of masculinity that she deserved.

Fear knew the only way to ensure that Joy left him for good was to lie. Perhaps if he acted pompous, if he made it seem like Joy could never live up to _his_ standards, then she wouldn't argue about splitting up. This, he was sure, would leave Joy furious. He would be forced to carry out the rest of his life knowing the one person he loved saw him as the embodiment of cruelty and narcissism, hating him with all of her being for an eternity. But he was willing to suffer through this heart breaking scenario if it meant Joy wouldn't have to live a life of misery chained down with a _pathetic coward_ like himself.

Fear was still tangled in a flurry of racing thoughts when they finally arrived at their destination. Rather than going through the main entrance as they had before, the emotions had traveled to a smaller side entrance to the theme park located only a short walk from the beach. This, like the main one, was completely abandoned. The ticket booths all sat vacant, acting more as a decoration than a function since the park was free to any and all visitors. Fear and Joy weaseled through the loose turnstiles and onto the familiar path within the parks borders.

After only a brief walk past a few painted coasters, Fear and Joy happened upon a field of booths and stands. Colorful banners hung all along their frames, broadcasting to the world around them what that particular stand had to offer. About three booths down stood the stand they had been looking for; one that proclaimed its variety of cold drinks for sale, including the fresh bottled water Fear required. Joy smiled and quickly made her way towards it, only to stop a few steps in after noticing that she could no longer hear the footsteps of her companion.

Sure enough, Fear had stopped dead in his tracks at the first booth, staring intently in its direction with his mouth slightly agape. A plushie hanging from the carnival game stand's roof had caught his attention. It was an over sized stuffed penguin almost as tall as he was. And not just any penguin; this particular bird plush was decorated with tiny tufts of golden feathers erupting from its eyebrows, accenting its black and white body. This was a _rockhopper_ penguin plushie. Fear stood in an awed silence; this had to be a sign.

Quickly, the nervous emotion studied the rest of the booth. At its rear, three tiny stools stood balancing three empty glass bottles in a tiny pyramid, a large sign behind them reading "KNOCK DOWN THE GLASSES TO WIN". An assortment of colorful plushies hung from the inner walls and ceiling of the stand as the reward to be given out to those who could best the simple game. Unlike the grand majority of the stands, this one held an employee within, a single dark purple mind worker repeatedly tossing a baseball above his head with his glittering hands.

Fear curled his eyebrows. This, he decided, was his last chance. He would attempt this silly carnival game in order to win the rockhopper penguin plushie as a gift for Joy. If he succeeded, he would accept it as a sign that he should not break up with Joy, but should instead focus once more on proving his dedication to his one true love. But if he failed, it would surely be the final nail in this relationships coffin, the last ounce of proof he needed that he was no where near good enough for someone so perfect.

With the determination clear on his face, Fear quickly turned to Joy. The golden emotion was thoroughly confused, having no idea what about that stand in particular had caught her coworkers attention. But Fear responded only with a hearty nod of his head. Joy only blinked in her bewilderment as he turned and marched purposefully towards the brightly colored stand.

This was it. His _last_ opportunity for a precious pebble. Fear took in a deep breath, knowing that the results of this game could make or break his relationship and change his life forever.


	10. Chapter 10: What She Deserves

**WooOOO! Here it is, Folks! The long awaited end of the tale! I hope it's as good as you were expecting!**

 **BUT! Keep your eyes peeled! There** ** _may_** **be an epilogue coming at some point! AND don't forget the credits chapter! It will include a few bonus things as well as special shoutouts and thank yous! And finally, a deleted scene will be being posted on my p a tr eo n sometime soon! So please consider donating! It would really really REALLY help so much!**

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Chapter 10: What She Deserves

By the time Fear had marched his way to the front of the game booth, his face had become a ghastly white. The sheer amount of importance he now placed in this game of skill was only just sinking in. He knew that if these carnival games were anything like the ones Riley had played in real life, they were specifically designed to make the majority of players fail. And yet he still entrusted such a life changing choice to the results of his performance. It would prove to him if the penguin plushie had been a genuine sign from some unseen force that he should fight for his relationship, or a mere coincidence, meaning his break up decision would be final.

As the indigo mind worker continued to amuse himself throwing a baseball above his head and catching it again over and over, he noticed the approaching emotion out of the corner of his eye. Happy to have the monotony of the day broken, he produced a sleepy sort of smile on his mellow face and leaned onto the booths counter, baseball still in hand. His calm demeanor was so sharply contrasted by Fear's tense expression and posture as the emotion neared the booths front, with Joy standing a good three feet behind him.

"Hey, there." The colorful blob mumbled in an upbeat yet relaxed manner as he repeated his well rehearsed speech. "Want to try your luck? Knock down the glasses and get a prize. Three tries per play."

Fear quickly glanced at the golden tufted penguin now hanging above his head, feeling his heart nearly skip a beat. "How much?" He redirected his eyes back to the employee.

The mindworker breathed an airy chuckle. "Nothing in this park costs anything." He grinned. "You're just limited to one play per day. Why not give it a shot?"

The games worker rolled the ball from his glittering hands toward Fear's. The shivering emotion studied the sphere carefully, then brought his eyes up to the precisely arranged trio of bottles at the rear of the tent. It looked as though the baseball had more than enough mass needed to topple the mini pyramid. The trick would be making sure both of the bottom supports were knocked from their solid perch. He would have to hit the very center of the stack to ensure all three glasses hit the floor.

Fear took a moment to look to the golden emotion behind him. Her face had lit up, no doubt from puzzling out Fear's plan to win her a plushie prize. Her fists, clenched tightly, were held just beneath her sparkling eyes, as if trying to decide whether or not to obscure her vision due to being simply too excited to watch. Fear's face fell. He silently prayed with all his being that he would at long last be able to impress her.

Finally, the emotion turned back to the glass stack, plucking the ball from the booths table. This was it. Three chances to prove himself. He held the precious sphere tightly in his lavender hands, readying his aim and preparing to fire.

With a sharp grunt, Fear threw the first ball with all his might. As he felt the rough stitches escape his fingers, he shut his eyes tight, adding an extra bit of vertical spin that he hadn't planned on. He opened his eyes just in time to see his first shot impact the padded rear of the game booth just above the stack of bottles, missing his target entirely.

"Ooh... Good throw, bad aim." The mind worker evaluated, shaking his head. Rather than retrieve the ball just thrown, he pulled a replacement from some unseen storage beneath the counter and rolled it towards Fear as he had before. "Two more shots. Go ahead and try again."

Fear felt his posture tense as he picked up the second ball. With one throw lost, he could feel the chances of his relationship enduring slipping away from him. He had foolishly closed his eyes in his anxiety and botched his aim. He lowered his eyebrows; now wasn't the time to be making mistakes.

From behind him, he could hear that Joy's breathing had picked up speed. She was completely enthralled by the thrill and anticipation of the whole event, loving every exciting second. "You can do it, Fear!" She chirped, trying to motivate her colleague, the task of retrieving fresh water now absent from her thoughts.

Focusing again on the exact center of the stack, Fear channeled his energy into his arm and hurled the second ball just as hard as the first. Though he fought to keep his sights on target, his eyes instinctively shut as soon as the object left his grip, his body attempting to prevent any potential debris from harming his huge, bright eyes. He snapped them back open as fast as he could, hearing an audible clink echo in the booth. This shot had been closer; it impacted the bottom right glass at its edge, pushing the bottle and shaking the whole pyramid but still failing to bring even one glass down.

"Ooh!" The mind worker winced, now emotionally invested in the players success. "Almost! But you gotta knock em down with _one_ shot." He shuffled towards the stool and, with his glittering hands sparkling on the glossy surfaces, rearranged the bottles into a perfect tower once more. "One more try. Go ahead!"

As a third ball rolled along the counter towards his tense hands, Fear took the time to take in a deep soothing breath. It had come down to the wire. The baseball now resting before him would be the ultimate decider. Should he stay with Joy, or did she deserve so much more? This last throw would provide the answer. Fear quickly shook his hands in an attempt to loosen his muscles. He couldn't allow himself to lose focus and start panicking. Not yet.

After what felt like an eternity of preparation, Fear removed the ball from where it lay, holding it tightly in his trembling grip. His cheering section of one had fallen silent; Joy didn't want to add unnecessary stress when the air had already become so thick with Fear's aura of anxiety. Not that it mattered, though, as Fear's nerves were already as frayed as possible. Joy was unaware of just how important this throw had become.

Not wanting to prolong the inevitable, Fear took precise aim and, with his eyes open wide, hurled the ball from his hand. He had managed to keep his vision locked on target, and the ball flew towards the dead center of the stack.

But while this throw had exactly the aim he had needed, it had cost him his throwing power. This ball had been tossed far slower than the previous two. So while the aim was precise and calculated, the ball simply didn't have the speed. It impacted the dead weight of the bottle tower, shoving the whole thing backwards a good few inches but only managing a shiver from the glasses. The top bottle eventually shaking loose and toppling over seemed like fates lousy attempt at a consolation prize.

Both the mind worker within the booth and the emotion a few steps away were readying their statements of understanding when they were interrupted by a mournful howl. Fear threw his hands in the air and cried out to the heavens in pain and misery.

 _He had failed._

Joy, startled by such a strong reaction to such a simple game, attempted to approach her life long companion to offer whatever support she could, but was instead pushed away in a somewhat rough sort of shove as Fear trudged past, making his way to one of the picnic tables placed between the rows of booths and stands. He collapsed atop a wooden bench and wailed, burying his face in his limp arms stretched across the table.

For a while, Joy couldn't bring herself to move, paralyzed by utter shock and confusion. She couldn't understand what had just happened. Fear had failed at games of skill such as this one plenty of times in his life, but never acted as crushed and as heartbroken as he now was. Each of his piercing cries struck Joy like a dagger; it pained her so much to see him this upset. Breaking her paralysis, she slowly crept towards the lavender creature, seating herself on the opposite bench of the table where he lay.

"Fear..." She reached out a hand to offer a comforting pat, but hesitated. "It's alright. You're gonna be okay..."

"No! I'm _not_!" Fear snapped back, lifting his head and revealing his bloodshot eyes. "I couldn't do it! I _failed_!"

"It was just a silly little game-"

"It wasn't _just_ the game!" Fear pounded a fist on the table. "It was _everything_! I wanted to make this day perfect for you and I _failed_! I couldn't do _one thing_ right! I ruined what should've been one of the best days of your life and I... I feel horrible for letting you down."

Though Joy made attempts to interject, Fear allowed no room for her to speak. "I'm an _embarrassment_!" He wailed. "I passed out on the roller coaster, I nearly drowned at the beach, and now I couldn't even knock _some bottles_ off of a _stupid stool_!" He slammed his face back to the table, wrapping his lanky arms around his head. "And you... You don't deserve that. You deserve someone who isn't afraid. Someone who doesn't embarrass you by passing out all the time. Someone who isn't so cowardly that they can't even put together a compliment. Someone strong and good looking and... And just... Someone who _isn't_ me..."

As his ranting dissolved into silent weeping, Joy sat as still as stone with her eyes open wide and her mouth slightly ajar, trying to take it all in. These feelings which he had hidden from her had come as such a shock, but had also explained so much.

"Fear." She sighed, feeling a monumental weight off her shoulders. "All this time... You were worried about _me_?"

Confused by the question, Fear slowly lifted his head and stared blankly into Joy's glittering sapphire eyes.

"I thought..." Joy quietly laughed. "I thought you were mad at me. I thought you were upset because _I_ ruined this fun date you had planned. I pushed you too hard and asked too much from you. I should've known better, but I just got over excited. I saw how upset you were and thought that it had been _my_ fault, and I felt terrible for it.

"Fear, you haven't embarrassed me _once_ today. In fact, this _has_ been one of the best days of my life. You actually rode the roller coaster with me, we got to sit at such a pretty beach and swim in the beautiful surf. And I... I like the way you get so nervous that you can hardly speak. It just proves how sincere you are. And passing out after the ride? It proved how much it scared you, but how you were willing to try it anyway just to make me happy. You risked your life trying to save me at the beach. Sure, it turned out that there wasn't any threat, but it still shows just far you're willing to go for me. If anything, this outing has... it's proved just how much you love me. And... I realize just how much I love you too."

Fear sat up straight with his antennae skyward, almost unable to believe what he was hearing. "You.. were worried about _me_?" He mumbled. "Y-you didn't do anything wrong! I... I kind of like when you push me out of my comfort zone. Sure, it's scary... _REALLY_ scary, but I get to experience things with you that I _never_ would have otherwise. I wasn't mad at you at all! I was just mad at myself. All I wanted to do was prove myself to you. And... And I guess... I..."

Joy placed a hand to his shoulder, instantly feeling his muscles react. "You already _have_ proved yourself." She smiled sweetly. "I don't need some macho man with big muscles and flowing hair. And I don't expect you to be something you're not. I want to be in this relationship because I like you just the way you are. And the nervousness? Well, that just... kind of makes you even cuter."

A terribly goofy grin found its way to Fear's face, accompanied by a red heat in his cheeks and an uncontrollable giggling from his throat. Though he couldn't see it, his antennae had twisted in on itself, forming a clear heart shape in response to his thoughts. He pressed his hands to his face and turned away in an effort to hide from Joy. She liked him! All this time he spent trying to prove himself to Joy, and it turned out that he already had. She loved him for who he was, not who he tried to be. His heart pounded in his chest as he repeated the thought in his mind.

Joy was relieved to see Fear smiling again. And his flustered reaction to her statement only cemented what she had stated earlier. Nothing made Joy happier than to see how happy she could make Fear.

An idea hit Joy in an instant. She leapt from the table and marched back to the booth that they had stood in front of just moments before. Fear, surprised and bewildered as he came out of his embarrassed trance, followed after her, confused as to what she had in mind.

Joy slammed her hands on the game stands counter, thoroughly startling the indigo mind worker who had resumed quietly playing with a ball.

"One play per day, right?" Joy smiled, reaching out a golden hand expectantly. "I want to give it a shot!"

"Uh, yeah, no problem." The startled worker handed the baseball to the emotion before him. "Three tries. Gotta knock over the whole stack."

The employee had barely finished his sentence when Joy fired the ball like a rocket into the bottle stack, sending all three glasses flying into the padded rear of the tent in a chorus of clanking. She smirked and folded her arms, proud of herself, as the worker simply stood aghast at the pile of bottles now on the ground.

"Woah!" He chuckled, putting back the replacement baseball he had grabbed for Joy's second try. "You knocked em over in one shot! That means you get to pick any prize from the tent! What can I grab for ya?"

Joy's glittering eyes drifted to the stuffed animals dangling from the colorful roof. It took only a second for her to decide. "I'll take the penguin!" She grinned with a gentle blush on her cheeks. "It's for my boyfriend."

The mind worker happily unhooked the antarctic bird from the ceiling and handed it over to Joy. The golden emotion quickly accepted the plushie, then excitedly bolted back towards Fear, who was frozen a few feet behind her. Still attempting to clear the shock from his mind, he suddenly found the giant stuffed toy being thrust into his arms by his giggling colleague. His awe filled eyes fell immediately to its plush face, petting one of it's golden eyebrows with one hand.

"The... The penguin..?" He mumbled. "You got me... _the penguin_..?"

Joy only shrugged. "Yeah. I thought he was cute!" She chuckled. "Besides, he kind of reminds me of someone. With that long body and cute little stubby legs, and even his big fuzzy eyebrows! Reminds me of a certain adorable someone I know."

The anxious emotion lowered his brow in thought, though still refusing to take his gaze off the stuffed toy. He eyed the creature carefully. "Who..? Anger..?"

Joy couldn't help but laugh. "No! It's _you_ , silly!"

Fear's face immediately softened as he realized the compliment he had received. He couldn't believe it. Out of the dozens of plushies that filled the booth, Joy had unwittingly chosen the one that had stood out in Fear's mind. This was it; this was the sign. There was no doubt about it, they were _meant_ to be together. Fear felt a tear attempt to escape his bright eyes as he gripped the stuffed creature in a tight hug, feeling beyond happy and relieved.

"I _love_ it, Joy." He smiled.

Not missing a beat, Joy skipped a few steps down the path. "Well, come on, slow poke!" She laughed. "We've got a date to finish!"

Fear, his nerves at ease, nodded and chased after her, walking just along side. Absentmindedly, Joy reached out a hand and took Fear's in her own, continuing down the path with their hands interlocked. She could feel that though Fear was still his nervous self, he had managed to calm down significantly now that so many needless worries had been lifted from his thoughts. Joy, too, felt so much lighter, and knew the rest of the day would be nothing short of amazing.

Joy took a quick glance at Fear and giggled at the over sized bird now obscuring his face. A thought suddenly dawned on her, and her entire face lit up. "Hey, now that I think about it, that's a _Rockhopper_ penguin!" She noted. "They are so cute! Do you know how they impress their mates?"

Fear blushed a deep red. "Not a clue." He lied.


End file.
